MIAC Playoff Site

ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – For the third time in the last four games, the College of Saint Benedict soccer team came up just short of a win Saturday afternoon. But thanks to Macalester's win over Gustavus in the final game of the regular season, CSB secured the No. 4 seed in the MIAC Tournament, which starts Tuesday, Oct. 31.
 
CSB – which wrapped up the regular season 9-3-3 overall and 5-3-3 and tied for fourth in the MIAC after a 2-1 loss to Carleton Saturday – hosts fifth-seeded St. Kate's at 2 p.m. Tuesday on the team's new turf field on College Avenue. The winner of that game travels to take on the top seed – which will be determined later Saturday night after the Augsburg/St. Olaf game – Wednesday, Nov. 1.
 
This ends CSB's two-year hiatus from the conference tournament. Saint Benedict's last appearance came in 2014 when it tied St. Thomas 1-1, but the Tommies won 2-0 in a shootout.
 
Saint Benedict controlled almost every aspect of the game Saturday afternoon, and more than doubled up the Knights in total shots and shots on goal. But it was Carleton (8-6-3, 4-4-3) who got on the board first in the 20^th minute of the first half.
 
That lead held up until halftime, but less than two minutes into the second half CSB tied the game when Mara Flaherty scored her third goal of the season, this one on an assist from Megan Thompson.  The tie didn't last long either, however, as the Knights pulled back ahead less than a minute later when Libby Franchot scored her second goal of the game and seventh of the season to put Carleton up 2-1.
 
Saint Benedict had several breakaways, and Jenna Kleason rocketed a shot on net late in the game, but Carleton goalie Anne Roethler stopped eight shots to help the Knights hold on for the win.
 
CSB finished with 18 shots compared to the Knights' five, and finished with nine shots on net to Carleton's three. Thompson had three shots on net and Flaherty finished with two.