ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict soccer team is off to a hot start in 2017. Head coach Steve Kimble and his squad look to translate that early success into wins down the stretch and a spot in the MIAC Tournament at the end of the season.
CSB heads into the weekend with two games on the schedule. The team hosts St. Thomas Saturday, Sept. 16, at 3:30 p.m. at the team's current grass field on campus. CSB plays its first game on the new turf across College Avenue when it hosts UW-River Falls at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17.
About the opponents:
The University of St. Thomas started the season 4-0-1, and has a 2-0 MIAC win over Saint Mary's under its belt. Last year, the Tommies went 17-3-1 and lost to Loras in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Mallory DeBoom leads St. Thomas with three goals and one assist on 19 shots. Eight different Tommies have scored this season. Olivia Elvidge and Katie Lynn have split time in net and totaled 10 saves and three shutouts. CSB and UST tied 1-1 in St. Joseph last year in their only meeting of the season.
UW-River Falls started off the season 2-3, including a win over Concordia 2-0 and a 1-0 loss to St. Thomas. Last year, the Falcons went 7-10-2, and lost 3-0 loss to CSB on Sept. 18 in River Falls. Four different Falcons have scored one goal this season, and Abby Soderholm leads the team with 25 shots. Haley Crosby and Amanda LaDue split time in net, and have combined for 26 saves.
Last time out:
On Wednesday afternoon in Moorhead, CSB faced off against Concordia College in their its MIAC game of the season. In the 12th minute, first year forward Megan Thompson scored the game's only goal, off a pass from junior Jane Koch. The CSB defense allowed just two total shots and a single shot on net, which was stopped by sophomore goalie Kendall Koenen.
Who to Watch:
First year forward Megan Thompson is third in the MIAC with five goals through four games. Jane Koch is second in the MIAC with both 23 shots and four assists this season. Sophomore Kendall Koenen is fifth in the MIAC with 17 saves and has one shutout.
Undefeated CSB moved into the NCAA Division III Top 25 Coaches' Poll Tuesday. No. 22 CSB is off to the best start for the team since 2007 when it started the year 12-0 on its way to a national tournament appearance. The team looks to keep improving and carry momentum in two big games this weekend and the opening of the new turf field.
