ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – For the first time since 2013, the College of Saint Benedict soccer team is playing on the Wednesday of MIAC Tournament week.
 
After an exciting second half – and an intense final 10 minutes of play – Saint Benedict came away victorious 3-2 over Carleton in a MIAC Quarterfinal game Tuesday afternoon in St. Joseph. This snaps a three-game losing streak in the MIAC Tournament for CSB, and means the team moves on to take on No. 1 Augsburg on the road Wednesday, Nov. 6. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Minneapolis.
 
Tuesday marked the second meeting between the two teams in three days, and the first half Tuesday looked much like the first half of Saturday's regular-season finale. There were a few more scoring opportunities for each team, but the game was scoreless heading into halftime.
 
Much like Saturday, however, that all changed in the first five minutes of the second half. Megan Thompson got the ball back in Carleton's end of the field and sent it up to Haley Neumann, who sent a long pass down to a streaking Roxy Veldman. At the 47:50 mark, Veldman beat her defender and sent the ball into the low left corner of the net to put CSB up 1-0.
 
Seven minutes later, Veldman netted her second goal of the game and sixth of the season to put her team up 2-0. At 54:31, Veldman got a foot on the ball, which had been ping-ponging around in front of the net, and sent it past the Knight's keeper.
 
Carleton (9-5-3) put one shot on net that keeper Kendall Koenen stopped, and had several wide shots following Veldman's second goal. The Knights also drew Koenen out of the net and got a defender past her, but Neumann was able to get in front of the shot to keep Carleton off the board.
 
That all changed in the 80^th minute, however. After two straight Carleton corner kicks, Emma Wasend got the ball right in front of the net and kicked it low and to the left to put the Knights on the board. The Knights tied the game six minutes later in the 86^th minute when Saint Benedict was called for a foul in its own box. Koenen made the initial save on the penalty kick, but the rebound bounced out of her hands and Cate Patterson was there to tap it into the back of the net.
 
With less than four minutes left it looked as though overtime was looming, but Thompson had other thoughts. Cecelia Miller sent her a pass in to the box, and Thompson sent it into the back of the net for her 18^th goal of the season to put CSB up 3-2, and that's where the score would stay.
 
Not only did Thompson's goal push the single-season goals record to 18 in a season, between that and her assist she is also one point away from tying the school record for points in a season. She has 41 points after Tuesday, and the record is 42, set in 1992 by Laurie Westman. This also marked her ninth game-winning goal of the season.
 
CSB finished with 19 shots to Carleton's 15, and had 10 shots on net to the Knights' seven. Thompson finished with five more shots on net and Veldman had two – both of which turned into goals. Koenen finished the day with four saves.
 
Saint Benedict is now 11-5-2 overall – the most wins for the program since it racked up 14 in 2014. CSB heads to Minneapolis for the second time this season to take on the Auggies (13-3-1), who earned the No. 1 seed after finishing 9-1-1 in MIAC play. Augsburg beat CSB 1-0 on Oct. 15, even though CSB outshot the Auggies 17-14, including an 8-2 margin in shots on net.