MOORHEAD, Minn. – Heading into Tuesday's MIAC opener, Concordia had allowed just two goals in five games so far this season.
 
Megan Thompson outscored all five of those teams on her own.                                                
 
Thompson had a hat trick – her second of the season and third of her career – to lead the College of Saint Benedict soccer team past the Cobbers 4-0 in the conference opener for both teams.
 
In seven games so far this season for CSB, Thompson has matched her point total (23) from the entire 2018 season. She now has 10 goals on the year and is the first CSB soccer player to score double-digit goals since Taylor Hedin in 2016.
 
Saint Benedict's defense gave up just two shots on goal – both late in the game – to the Cobbers, who are now 5-1 overall and 0-1 in the MIAC. CSB (4-2-1, 1-0), on the other hand, had 14 total shots, including six on net.
 
CSB didn't waste any time finding the back of the net in Tuesday's contest. Thompson's first goal came at the 10:40 mark off an assist from Mara Flaherty, and her second came just four minutes later, this time off an assist from Roxy Veldman.
 
The score stayed 2-0 heading into halftime, and Flaherty and Thompson connected again six minutes into the second half to put CSB up 3-0. Saint Benedict wrapped up scoring five minutes later when first year Chloe Miller scored the second goal of her career off an assist from Clara Noack to make it 4-0.
 
Thompson finished with four of the team's six shots on net to lead CSB, and Miller and Veldman each added one.
 
Senior Kendall Koenen and first year Paige Kahlmeyer split time in net, and combined to make two saves to preserve the shutout. The win marked the third of the season for Koenen.
 
CSB is back at home Saturday, Sept. 21, when it hosts Hamline at 3:30 p.m. in a MIAC game.