The College of Saint Benedict soccer team heads to Saint Paul today to take on school rival St. Thomas. Last year, it was St. Thomas that ended the Blazers' season on a double overtime shootout in the MIAC quarterfinals.
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The Schedule:
Saint Benedict @ St. Thomas, 4 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 7th, Saint Paul, Minn.
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The Records:
CSB: 5-3-2 (3-1 MIAC)
UST: 5-4 (3-1 MIAC)
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Who to Watch:
CSB:
Sr. F Aly Hoffman | Continues to lead the Blazers in goals (5) and points (11). Has scored four goals and notched one assist in four games against the Tommies
Sr. F Valerie Clintsman | Just halfway into the season, she has already set a career-high in goals (4) and points (8)
Jr. K Heather Kaluzniak | Ranks third in the MIAC in goals against average (0.96)
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UST:
So. F Brielle Bierman | Ranks third in the MIAC with seven assists, and fourth with 17 points
Fy. F Mallory Debloom | Leads the Tommies with 1.67 shots on goal per game
Jr. K Tarynn Theilig | Gives up 1.51 goals per game and has a 0.756 save percentage
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About the Tommies:
After defeating the Blazers in the MIAC quarterfinals last year, the Tommies lost 0-1 in the semifinals to eventual-champion Augsburg. This year, they were picked to finish tied for fourth in the MIAC. Their only MIAC loss thus far came at the hands of Gustavus, who currently is tied for first in the conference. Their plague this season has been a defense which ranks third-to-last in the MIAC in goals conceded per game (1.63). Led by Bierman, their offense ranks third-best in the MIAC in goals scored per game (2.3).
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The Storyline:
The Blazers, Gusties, and Tommies are in a battle for second-place as the only one-loss teams in the conference. The winner of today's game will move into a tie with Gustavus and have inside position for playoff home field advantage heading into the second half of the season. For the returning Blazers however, this game represents more than three points in the standings. Last year St. Thomas ended their season prematurely on a double overtime shootout in the MIAC quarterfinals. A win today could finally put that loss out of recent Blazer memory.
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Last Year:
When the Tommies and Blazers met in the regular season last year, Hoffman scored once and assisted another goal to give the Blazers a 2-0 victory over the Tommies. In the MIAC quarterfinals, it was again Hoffman who gave the Blazers a lead on a penalty kick in the games' 75th minute. With less than two minutes left on the clock, Tommie forward Katie Sauer knocked in an equalizer, and the game went scoreless through double overtime. The Tommies advanced 2-0 after four rounds of penalty kicks. The Blazers outshot the Tommie 34-21 over the two games.
