Simone Kolander was always more comfortable setting up teammates for goals than scoring them herself.
Then she realized just how good a scorer should could be.
A gifted passer with rare field vision, the former midfielder has morphed into one of best forwards in the country, helping lead Minnesota into the second round of the NCAA tournament.
The Gophers (12-6-3) are at Loyola Marymound (14-15-1) Friday at 2 p.m.
Kolander didn't score in a 5-0, first-round victory over South Dakota State last Friday, but she has anchored the Gophers' offense with a team-high 10 goals this season and has some hardware to show for it -- Big Ten Forward of the Year.