COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. –
Megan Thompson certainly knows how to make an entrance.
Thompson, a first year on the College of Saint Benedict soccer team, scored four goals in her collegiate debut to help lead CSB to a 5-1 win over Nebraska Wesleyan Friday at Haws Field in Collegeville.
Four goals in one game is the most for any CSB soccer player dating back to at least the mid-2000s. In the past three years, Saint Benedict has had just seven players score more than four goals the entire season.
Thompson's first career goal came in the 23
rd minute of the game when she took a pass from
Maren Noble and angled the ball past the goal keeper into the left corner of the net from the right side of the box. She scored the eventual game-winner 15 minutes later when she dribbled the ball past the NWU defenders and put CSB up 2-0 in the 38
th minute.
Thompson wasn't the only CSB athlete to score Friday. Junior
Jane Koch netted her first goal of the season six minutes into the second half when she took a pass from
Jenna Kleason in the right corner of the box and snuck the ball past NWU's keeper in the 51
st minute.
Thompson completed the hat trick – the first for CSB since October 2016 when
Taylor Hedin scored three times against St. Kate's – in the 62
nd minute when she took a pass from Koch all alone in front of the net. The Inver Grove Heights native wrapped up scoring for both herself and the team in the 74
th minute when she took a long pass from
Alyssa Krause and scored on a breakaway.
The Prairie Wolves (0-1) avoided the shutout by scoring in the 86
th minute of the game.
Saint Benedict (1-0) outshot NWU 31-9, including 13-5 in shots on net. Koch and Thompson both finished with four shots on net for CSB. Sophomore goalie
Kendall Koenen made one save in her sophomore debut, and first year
Maggie Tolley made three saves.
CSB is off now until Saturday, Sept. 9, when it travels to Eau Claire, Wis., to take on UW-Eau Claire. The team is back at home Sunday, Sept. 10, when it hosts region-rival Loras at 3:30 p.m. at SJU.
