St. Olaf and Saint Benedict Advance to MIAC Women's Soccer Semifinals

The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference women’s soccer postseason narrowed its field on Tuesday afternoon, as No. 3 seed St. Olaf defeated No. 6 Bethel 2-0 and No. 4 Saint Benedict survived a tense penalty-kick shootout against No. 5 Macalester to punch their tickets to the semifinals, miacathletics.com reported.

Tuesday’s quarterfinal results set up a pair of high-stakes semifinal showdowns slated for Thursday afternoon. The advancing Oles and Bennies will now hit the road to challenge the conference’s top regular-season powerhouses.

Oles Defense Stifles Royals in Farmington

At Farmington, St. Olaf broke open a tight defensive battle early when Rachel Anderson pounced on a loose ball following a cleared corner kick, putting the Oles ahead 1-0 in the 17th minute. Bethel fought back hard, generating constant pressure and ultimately winning the statistical battle with an 8-6 edge in shots on goal. Hannah Kvant paced the Royals’ attack with six total shots, putting three on frame.

HIGHLIGHTS: Anderson and VanDeWalker score, women's soccer ousts Bethel in MIAC Playoff quarterfinal

St. Olaf goalkeeper Charlotte Percy slammed the door shut, stopping all eight shots she faced to secure the clean sheet. Wren VanDeWalker then provided breathing room in the 59th minute, doubling the Oles’ advantage to 2-0 and sealing the quarterfinal victory.

The win sends St. Olaf packing for St. Paul to face No. 2 St. Catherine on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. at the Wildcat Soccer Field. History favors the Wildcats in this particular postseason matchup; St. Catherine holds a 1-0 edge in all-time playoff meetings, including a 3-1 victory in the 2024 semifinals. St. Catherine also rolled to a 5-1 win over the Oles during their regular-season meeting back on October 13.

Bennies Outlast Macalester in Dramatic Shootout

Meanwhile, the matchup between Saint Benedict and Macalester required a grueling 110 minutes of regulation and double overtime before deciding a winner. Ava Arredondo staked Macalester to an early lead in the 19th minute, but Saint Benedict answered before the break when Veronica Warren equalized in the 28th minute.

Neither side could break the 1-1 deadlock through the remainder of regulation or two scoreless overtime periods. Goalkeepers were heavily tested throughout the marathon contest. Saint Benedict’s Rhianna Anya racked up 10 saves over 110 minutes, while Macalester’s Abigail Heuga turned away eight shots.

When regulation and overtime failed to separate the two squads, the quarterfinal shifted to penalty kicks. The Bennies ultimately edged the Scots 5-4 in the shootout to advance.

The Road to the Championship

Saint Benedict now travels to Northfield for a semifinal clash against No. 1 Carleton on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. at Bell Field. The all-time postseason series between the Knights and Bennies sits dead even at 1-1, with Saint Benedict taking the last playoff encounter 3-2 in the 2019 quarterfinals. Their most recent meeting on October 24 ended in a scoreless 0-0 draw in St. Joseph.

The winners of Thursday’s two semifinals will advance to the conference championship match on Saturday, November 7, scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff at the site of the highest remaining seed. The tournament champion walks away with the automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Tournament, making every remaining possession vital as teams chase the national field.

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