Crosstown Rivals Meet Tonight for the Cushman Cup

It’s Cushman Cup night in Grand Forks as the Central Knights take on the Red River Roughriders in a crosstown soccer matchup with plenty on the line.

Red River comes into tonight’s game as the No. 3 seed in the East Region with a 7-2-4 conference record and an 8-3-4 record overall. The Roughriders have been playing some of their best soccer of the season down the stretch, winning their last four games. During that four-game winning streak, Red River has outscored its opponents 19-2, including an 8-0 shutout over East Grand Forks and a 3-1 win over Fargo Davies.

The Roughriders have also been finding ways to get results throughout the season. Red River has put together wins over several teams in the East Region, while also battling to draws against some of the top competition in the state. With the state tournament coming up October 15th through the 17th, every game down the stretch becomes important as teams look to put themselves in the best possible position heading into the postseason.

Central enters tonight as the No. 8 seed in the East Region with a 2-9-3 conference record and a 4-10-3 overall record. The Knights have dropped their last three games, including a 1-0 loss to Shanley and a 5-0 loss to West Fargo Sheyenne, but they’ll have an opportunity to turn things around tonight against their crosstown rivals. Central’s last win came against East Grand Forks, a 2-0 shutout earlier in the season.

Central has also shown throughout the season that they can put together strong performances. The Knights picked up wins over Shanley, Crookston, West Fargo Horace and East Grand Forks, while also playing Fargo Davies to a pair of ties. Their 4-1 win over West Fargo Horace earlier in the season being the largest victory they’ve had to date.

The last meeting between these two teams came on September 3, with Red River coming away with a 1-0 victory. That game was a defensive battle from start to finish, and Central will be looking for a different result this time around. With the Cushman Cup on the line, the Knights will be looking to slow down a Red River team that has been scoring goals in bunches, while the Roughriders will try to keep their momentum going and add another win to their current streak.

And with this being a crosstown rivalry, the records and standings only tell part of the story. There’s also the opportunity for bragging rights in Grand Forks, making tonight’s matchup one both teams have had circled on the calendar.

It’s Central and Red River for the Cushman Cup. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m., and you can watch the game live on the KNOX YouTube channel.