ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – Paige Kahlmeyer picked up the first win of her College of Saint Benedict soccer career Friday afternoon, and it was a pretty impressive one.
 
In the first start of her collegiate career, Kahlmeyer made seven saves to help her team upset No. 19 Loras College 3-1 in St. Joseph.
 
The win marked the second over a ranked team for Saint Benedict this season. CSB also beat UW-La Crosse – ranked 17^th in Division III at the time – 3-1 on Aug. 31.
 
CSB came out firing , and first year Clair Lehmann put a shot on net in the first 10 minutes of play. The Duhawks, who are now 5-1 overall and had outscored opponents 16-1 heading into Friday, answered quickly with a pair of shots of their own, but Kahlmeyer stopped both.
 
Saint Benedict got on the board at the 24:28 mark when Chloe Miller scored the first goal of her career off an assist from Sydney Sherek to make it 1-0. Sherek sent the ball up the field to Miller, who sent the ball to the low left corner of the Duhawk's net.
 
After another Kahlmeyer save, Megan Thompson scored the eventual game-winner for CSB at the 35:18 mark. Her sixth goal of the season came off assists from Roxy Veldman and Mara Flaherty, and made it 2-0. Flaherty sent the ball to Veldman, who passed to Thompson in the middle of the box, and Thompson sent the ball into the back of the net.
 
That wasn't it for CSB's offense. With just over two minutes left in the half, Veldman scored a goal of her own off an assist from Thompson to make it 3-0 in favor of Saint Benedict. Senior Brianna Griffin nearly made it 4-0 in the final seconds of the first half, but Loras' keeper just got her hand on the ball to push it over the top of the crossbar and keep it out of the net.
 
Rosie McGinty had another solid chance for CSB to start the second half, but her shot hit the crossbar. Lehmann got the assist and put a shot on net, but Loras made the save. Thompson and Flaherty had back-to-back shots on net at the 65-minute mark, but Loras' new goalie was able to save both.
 
The Duhawks made it 3-1 at the 77:25 mark, but that's as close as they would get. Kahlmeyer made one final save at 81:18 to help secure her first win.
 
Saint Benedict finished with 21 shots to Loras' 17, and CSB had 10 shots on net to the Duhawks' eight. Flaherty, Lehmann and Thompson all had two shots on net, and Flaherty finished with seven saves.
 
CSB faces another tough road test Saturday, Sept. 14, when it heads to Eau Claire, Wis., to take on UW-Eau Claire.