ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The Hamline defense focused much of its energy on shutting down Megan Thompson and limiting the College of Saint Benedict soccer team's offense's opportunities. And for three-quarters of Saturday afternoon's MIAC game – that strategy worked.
 
Thompson finished the game with just two shots on net, but two was all she needed. After a shot on early in the first half, Thompson's second shot on net came just under three minutes into overtime and lifted CSB to a 2-1 win over the Pipers.
 
The MIAC win means CSB is undefeated at home so far this season and is now 2-0 in MIAC play. The team is 5-2-1 overall. The goal marked Thompson's 11^th already this season, and is her fifth game-winning goal.
 
It was the Pipers (2-4, 1-2) who got on the board first, and held a lead for nearly 70 minutes of play. After wide shots from both Roxy Veldman and Thompson, Hamline took the ball down into CSB's zone, and after a pass into the box and a deflected shot, Ashlee Olson used her body to send the ball into the back of the net past CSB keeper Kendall Koenen at the 13:02 mark.
 
Thompson had a shot on net a short time later, and Nicole Newman had a shot that hit the top crossbar and bounced down and out of the goal, but Saint Benedict was unable to score in the first half.
 
The Pipers had a shot on early in the second half but Koenen made the save, and both Newman and Grace Johnson put shots on net that were saved. At the 69:22 mark, senior defender Meghan Verkinderen scored the first goal of her collegiate career when she headed a corner kick by Johnson past Hamline's keeper and into the net to tie the game 1-1.
 
Haley Neumann put a long shot on net that was saved and Cecelia Miller had a shot on net, and CSB also had another shot hit the crossbar – this time on the side – and bounce back out and into play, but the score stayed knotted at 1-1 at the end of regulation.
 
Thompson and Saint Benedict wasted little time in the overtime. Chloe Miller had a shot that went wide in the first minute, and Sydney Sherek put a shot on net, and 30 seconds later Sherek found Thompson right in front of the net, and Thompson booted the ball under the Hamline goalie's left arm to lift her team to the win.
 
Saint Benedict finished with 20 total shots to Hamline's eight, and held an 11-4 margin in shots on net. Koenen finished with three saves to pick up the win.
 
CSB has a full week off now and returns to MIAC play Saturday, Sept. 28, when it hosts Hamline at 3:30 p.m.