For two weeks, Minnesota United has been shorthanded, missing a half-dozen or more players to injuries, international call-ups and various other issues.

Saturday night, that shorthandedness extended to the field, as the Loons played most of the game with only 10 players.

Hassani Dotson was sent off midway through the first half for Minnesota after earning two yellow cards in the span of 45 seconds, and the Loons lost 1-0 to Austin FC at Allianz FIeld.

The defeat was Minnesota’s third in a row, extending the team’s only multi-game losing streak of this season. The Loons shot up the Western Conference standings over the first 10 or so games of manager Eric Ramsay’s tenure, but over the past few weeks, the air has gone out of the team’s balloon.

It was the first time in Minnesota’s MLS history that the Loons have had a player sent off in the first half of a match. Three Loons got their marching orders in the first half in 2023, but two were in the Leagues Cup and one in the US Open Cup.

Dotson’s fouls both came against the same player, Austin FC striker Gyasi Zardes, and it was surprising to see referee Drew Fischer reach for his pocket on both occasions. The first card came on an attempted tackle on which Dotson made little, if any, contact with Zardes. The second card probably was a foul, but on most nights might not have been a card.

It took just five minutes for Austin to capitalize on their man advantage. Loons goalkeeper Clint Irwin attempted to punch out a cross, but his punch wasn’t strong enough to clear the area and fell directly to Los Verdes striker Diego Rubio, who had only to beat a stranded Irwin to open the scoring.

Minnesota, playing without either of its first-choice center forwards, didn’t put its first shot on target until the 82nd minute, though the Loons did manage to keep a fair amount of possession even with only 10 men on the field. With the diminutive Sang Bin Jeong playing at center forward, though, Minnesota didn’t have the option of going the long-ball route to find a goal and instead had to try to systematically break down the Austin defense — while short one player.

Jeong had the Loons’ best chance of the game in the fourth minute of stoppage time but blazed his shot high over the crossbar.

Kervin Arriaga was in the starting lineup in his usual spot at right center back. It was something of a surprise to see him anywhere in the squad given online rumors suggesting that his transfer to Serbian giants Partizan FK was a done deal.

It was the first game in Minnesota’s past four in which the Loons didn’t need to sign fill-ins from their MLS NEXT Pro squad to short-term agreements in order to (mostly) fill out their bench. Though they were one short of the allowed nine bench players, having 19 first-team players available must have seemed like a luxury to Ramsay — at least until he lost Dotson on the field.

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Alanna Smith was a defensive stalwart, Napheesa Collier had her first double-double in five games, and the Lynx stayed on a roll by beating Phoenix 73-60 on Saturday at Target Center.

Collier finished with 23 points and tied a season-high with 14 rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season. Courtney Williams added 12 points, including back-to-back jumpers to quash any hopes Phoenix had of a fourth-quarter comeback. She also had a season-high nine rebounds and four assists.

Minnesota (13-3) has won six straight and nine of 10.

Its next game is the Commissioner’s Cup final Tuesday in New York. The Lynx and Liberty had the top conference records in Cup games and will compete for a $500,000 prize pool.

“We want that bag,” Williams said with a smile.

“Obviously, we’re competitors at heart so it’s gonna be competitive because of that, take the money out. Then you put that money on the line people are going to be playing hard,” added Collier. “I think it’s going to be a really great game. We need to come in really prepared and then go celebrate. Hopefully.”

Hit inside and knocked down on what felt like every third time down the floor Saturday, Smith scored 14 points and added five assists, three rebounds and two blocks. But what doesn’t totally show up in the statistics is her keying the defense on Brittney Griner. The Mercury’s 6-9 center finished with 10 points on 4-of-14 shooting.

“It was Lan’s job, and it was a big job. I think it was (also) team defense. BG is a great player, she’s taller than everyone else in the league, so all you can do is make her catches hard, make her shots hard, and try not to foul,” Collier said. “… Make it as hard as you can, and I think Lan did a good job of that tonight. And the people around did as well.”

Kahleah Copper, who scored 34 points, including the game-winner with under a second to play, when the teams met June 7, finished with just nine points on 3-of-17 shooting. In losing for the first time in three games and just the second in six, the Mercury (8-8) shot 31.1% from the field, their second-worst mark of the season. Their highest-scoring quarter was 19.
It is the second straight game Minnesota has held an opponent to 60 points or fewer. Atlanta had 55 Wednesday.

Kayla McBride, the league’s top 3-point shooter, made a 3-pointer from the left side as the halftime buzzer sounded to cap a 21-10 quarter for the Lynx and a 38-25 lead. McBride, who missed her first four tries from deep, extended her arms out, palms up, with a sly smile.

A 3-pointer by Collier started a 12-2 Minnesota run late in the third quarter that was capped by a Dorka Juhász 3, and the Lynx lead was 60-41 heading to the fourth quarter.

The Lynx have won seven straight at home and are 9-1 in Target Center this season, after going 9-11 in the arena last year. Minnesota was 7-11 in 2022, its first year with a losing home record since 2010.

“There’s an expectation in this building and we’ve embraced that this season in a way that we haven’t seen in a couple seasons,” coach Cheryl Reeve said pregame, while lauding how the fans have stuck with the team even during down times in rece­nt years.

Both teams like to shoot the 3. Minnesota finished 8 for 22, but that was still better than the 7-for-34 effort by the Mercury.

WABASHA, Minn. — Can you name the national bird of the U.S?

Technically, there isn’t one.

Minnesota DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar is co-author of legislation to change that.

The proposed legislation is a bipartisan effort to designate the bald eagle as the official bird of the U.S. The regal raptor has long been a symbol of the country. In 1782, the Continental Congress placed the bald eagle on the front of the great seal of the U.S., which is seen on the back of the dollar bill. However, there’s been no official action identifying the bald eagle as the national bird.

In announcing the proposal, Klobuchar notes Minnesota is home to a large population of bald eagles. The state is also home to the National Eagle Center in Wabasha.

“The bald eagle is a symbol of our country’s freedom and strength,” said Klobuchar in a statement announcing the proposal. “My bipartisan legislation will officially designate the bald eagle as our country’s National Bird.”

Sens. Klobuchar and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyoming, along with Reps. Brad Finstad, a Republican, Angie Craig, a DFLer, both of Minnesota, are leading the legislative effort.

“Since the founding of our nation, the bald eagle has existed as a symbol of our country’s independence, strength and freedom,” Finstad said in a statement announcing the proposal. “I am proud to introduce this legislation which will officially classify the bald eagle as the national bird — its proper place of honor as an integral part of our national identity.”

The National Eagle Center is endorsing the effort.

“While most people assume the bald eagle is our nation’s official bird, the fact is our country doesn’t have an official bird,” Preston Cook, co-chair of the National Bird Initiative for the National Eagle Center said in a statement backing the proposed legislation. “The bison is the national mammal, the rose is the national flower, and the oak is the national tree. It’s time the bald eagle, long revered as our national symbol, finds its rightful place as our country’s official national bird.”

The initiative also has the support of the Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes, which represents 36 indigenous nations and four tribal organizations.

People can add their support to the effort by signing up for updates or making a donation at the National Eagle Center’s website, nationaleaglecenter.org.

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The margin for error is microscopic in a high school baseball postseason. One gaffe here or a slip-up there can be what sends a team home.

Yet for two years straight, East Ridge has been close enough to perfect to finish on top.

The Raptors did so Saturday in dramatic fashion.

Trailing conference rival Mounds View 2-1 through five innings, East Ridge scored a run in the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings to win its second consecutive Class 4A state title via a 3-2 victory at Target Field.

They did so without recording a hit in either inning.

Will Preimesberger walked to open the sixth frame. Pinch runner Adrian Thompson stole second, took third on a passed ball and scored on a sacrifice lineout from Bennett Skinner to knot the contest.

In the seventh, Benjamin Rudser got on with a leadoff walk. Caden Stern came in to run, stole second, took third on a passed ball and scored the winning run on a wild pitch.

“Dogpile at home plate, never thought that would happen,” Rudser said. “It was awesome.”

Between the two scores, East Ridge (21-6) had to keep the game tied in the top of the seventh. That looked unlikely after Jack Glancey doubled to right to lead off the frame. But the next batter flew out to left, and Glancey tried to move 90 feet closer to home.

Bennett Skinner caught the fly out moving to his left. He hit the cutoff man, shortstop Luke Skinner, who then fired a dart to third baseman Alex Mezzetti, who applied the tag in time to end the threat.

It was perfect baseball.

To close the contest, East Ridge continued to execute every little play in an exacting manner under intense pressure.

“We work on it so much,” Rudser said, “and we try to perfect it as best we can at every practice.”

Exactly how much at practice?

“Nonstop. Nonstop. It’s a huge chunk,” Raptors coach Brian Sprout said of the team’s situational work. “I’d probably say it’s 60 percent of our practices on a daily basis.”

And it paid off in a big way when it mattered most. East Ridge had to find any way possible to manufacture runs Saturday in the showdown of star aces.

Mounds View (20-9) had Iowa commit Tyler Guerin, while the Raptors had Texas A&M commit Max Arlich.

The fifth-seeded Mustangs managed two runs off Arlich in the first after what was deemed an error at second base plated a couple runs. Third-seeded East Ridge got one back in the bottom of the inning off Guerin.

That’s where the score stood for hours — literally. The game was stopped in the third amid heavy rainfall. The delay lasted two hours.

In that time, Arlich largely focused on intake.

“Eating a lot of food,” he said. “It was a long break, and I wanted to make sure I had food in me from when I last ate.”

Both pitchers returned after the delay, and both were sharp. Guerin allowed just one run on three hits in five innings before giving way to sophomore Andrew Gette.

Arlich said the first-inning runs he surrendered only motivated him to lock in more. A year after throwing a complete-game shutout in a 1-0 title game win over Rosemount, Arlich didn’t allow a hit from the first inning until Glancey’s double in the seventh.

Arlich threw a four-hitter on Saturday. Over the last two years, he’s tossed 14 innings of championship game baseball without surrendering an earned run.

“I don’t know. It just feels like everything comes down to these games, and those are the games I like the most,” Arlich said. “Yeah, it’s the most pressure, but that’s when you succeed.”

And he’s doing so against top-tier competition.

“I think that we were just dialed in the whole entire game. I don’t think it had to do anything on us. I think he just pitched better. You’ve got to tip your cap,” Mounds View’s Aiden Bale said. “That’s how baseball works. You’re going to lose games, and we happened to lose this game today. You’ve got to tip your cap to the pitcher. He just outpitched us, and we didn’t hit him.”

That was a strong summation of the entire contest: well-played to the finish, with one team managing to make one extra play. And in recent years come postseason, that team always seems to be the Raptors.

“It is so much fun to be a part of good baseball games that are played at a high level. You don’t want to lose them, but that’s why we’re here,” Sprout said. “To be a part of them, holy cow, it gets you going.”

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