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Mildcats: After sweeping a Saturday-Sunday doubleheader last weekend, the Saint Benedict soccer team (12-2-1, 7-2-0 MIAC) heads to St. Paul today (Oct. 29) to take on the St. Catherine Wildcats (7-9-0, 2-7-0 MIAC). The Blazers are currently ranked third in the North Region and trail first-place Concordia by one point in the MIAC standings. A win today would vault them into sole possession of first-place in the conference.
 
About the Wildcats: After having the best year in program history last year (program-high nine wins) and finishing in ninth place, the Wildcats were again picked to finish ninth in the MIAC this year. They are currently in 10th place in the eleven-team conference and sliding on a four-game losing streak. Over those four games they have been shutout three times and have given up nine goals. In conference games this year they are averaging 0.9 goals per game and giving up 1.88 goals per game. They are led by the tandem of junior forward Nina Bukowski and senior forward Lensa Gurmessa, who lead the team with 16 points apiece.
 
Last Year: In 2012 the Wildcats traveled to St. Joseph in early-October to take on the Blazers, who were in desperate need of a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Midway through the first-half then-first-year defender Megan Lenz (Lino Lakes, Minn.) put the Blazers up 1-0, redirecting a pass from then-junior forward Colleen Bouchard (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) past the Wildcat keeper and into the net. The teams played scoreless soccer until midway through the second half when Bouchard added a goal of her own off a pass from then-first-year forward Aly Hoffman (Chaska, Minn.). The Wildcats then-senior forward Chritiana Paik added a goal for her squad in the 87th minute, but the comeback was too little too late, and the Blazers won 2-1.
 
The Storyline: Are the Blazers ready to close out what has already been arguably their best regular season under Head Coach Steve Kimble? After Macalester's loss to Concordia on Tuesday, the Blazers are now in the driver's seat. A win today and a win on Saturday in Moorhead would guarantee them the conference regular-season crown and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. A win today would also mean that they could likely still clinch the top seed with a draw on Saturday against Concordia.
 
Who to Watch: Bouchard capped her four-point weekend on Sunday against the Blugolds with her seventh goal of the year. She has now scored seven goals in each of the past three seasons and set a career high in points with 25. Her 11 assists this year are tops in the MIAC, while her 25 points rank her fourth. Sophomore forward Grace Vaughan (Shakopee, Minn.) is tied with Bouchard for the team lead in goals with seven, also tied for the eighth-best mark in the conference. Hoffman closely trails Bouchard and Vaughan with six goals on the year.

Colleen Bouchard	Grace Vaughan	Aly Hoffman

Last Time Out: On Sunday the Blazers hosted the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in their last non conference matchup of the season. Sophomore defender Ellie Mullen (Portland, Ore.) set up the only goal of the game when she took a corner kick midway through the first half. The cross bounced off a Blugold defender before Bouchard picked it up and score the game-winning goal. First-year keeper Heather Kaluzniak (Plymouth, Minn.) had five saves en route to her sixth shutout of the season.