ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – After a pair of losses to two of the MIAC's top teams last week, the College of Saint Benedict soccer team bounced back and picked up a one-goal win against another of the league's top teams.
 
Megan Thompson scored the lone goal of the game, and that was enough for CSB is it beat Bethel 1-0 Wednesday in Arden Hills. The win secures Saint Benedict's spot in the six-team MIAC Tournament – its third straight conference tournament berth.
 
With one game left in the regular season, CSB is in fifth after moving up one spot thanks to Wednesday's win. The team is just a single point out of fourth place and behind Carleton – the team it hosts to end the regular season. St. Thomas leads the MIAC with 25 points, Augsburg is second with 22, St. Kate's is third with 21 points and the Knights are fourth with 20 points. Bethel dropped into sixth and has 18 points.
 
Saint Benedict's offense was on fire in the first half – and its defense was just as hot. CSB had eight shots on net in the first half alone, while giving up just one. CSB's defense gave up just three total shots, while the team put up 13 in the first 45 minutes of play.
 
The Royals' shot came early, but Kendall Koenen made the save. Thompson and Maren Noble put shots on net, and Thompson had back-to-back shots on net in the 20^th minute that were both saved. Thompson had two shots blocked, but she wasn't going to be denied. At the 40:14 mark, Thompson notched her 15^th goal of the season thanks to an assist from Mara Flaherty. Flaherty sent the ball ahead to Thompson, who beat her defender and sent the ball into the back of the net. She is now one goal away from tying the school record for goals in a season.
 
Bethel started the second half with another shot on net – its second of the game – but Koenen made the stop and CSB's defense continued to be stingy. Its offense, on the other hand, stayed urgent. Sydney Sherek and Thompson both had early shots on net, and Clair Lehmann had a shot blocked. Lehmann had a late shot on net, and Bethel had a shot that was blocked in the 89^th minute, but CSB held on for the win.
 
Thompson finished with five shots on net for CSB, which is now 9-5-2 overall and 6-2-1 in the MIAC. Koenen stopped all four shots she faced for her third shutout of the season.
 
CSB wraps up the regular season Saturday, Nov. 2, when it hosts Carleton at 3:30 p.m. The Knights' offense was also hot Wednesday as it beat St. Olaf 6-2.