ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict soccer team knew heading into Saturday's regular-season finale that it had locked up the No. 2 seed, but the Bennies were looking to gain a little more momentum heading into the conference tournament and avoid another double overtime tie.
 
Carleton gave CSB all it could handle and then some, and both teams had what looked to be direct shots on net throughout the game, but the two teams were scoreless through regulation and one overtime. The first seven minutes of the second overtime were also scoreless – despite the Knights' best efforts on a corner kick – but sophomore Ella Hinkemeyer delivered for the Bennies in the 107^th minute of play.
 
Hinkemeyer scored her first goal of the season – and second of her career – with less than three minutes to play in the second overtime to lift the Bennies to a 1-0 win over Carleton to wrap up the regular season.
 
The win pushes CSB's overall record to 10-3-3 and its MIAC record to 8-1-2. The Bennies' second-place regular-season finish is its best since winning the league in 2013, and just its third top-two finish since 2010. CSB gets a first-round bye and hosts a MIAC semifinal at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 3, at the OAC in St. Joe.
 
The Knights, who end the season 7-6-3 overall and 4-6-1 in the MIAC, came out firing and put two early shots on goalie Annie Waters. She stopped both, and then it was the Bennies' turn to put some shots on net as Chloe Miller, Roxy Veldman and Clara Noack all had shots on Carleton keeper Keya Mookencherry. The Bennies appeared to go up 1-0 midway through the first, but Veldman's shot arced wide to the right and outside of the net.
 
Carleton put two more shots on Waters late in the first, but the game was scoreless after one.

The second half had even more excitement as both teams picked up the pace. Sydney Burns and Alli Voss both put shots on net with Mookencherry turned around and out of place, but the Knights' defense was able to block both. Caralyn Conners had a blocked shot and Lana Krautkremer had a shot that went just wide right to end regulation still scoreless.
 
Paige Kahlmeyer had a big save early in the first overtime, and Voss put a shot on net midway through the first extra 10 minutes, but neither team found the back of the net. The Knights looked like they were about to end things on a corner kick early in the second overtime, but Kahlmeyer came up big and was able to deflect the high shot with her fists and then grab the rebound to keep possession of the ball.
 
It looked as though the game would go down as a scoreless tie, but Clair Lehmann got the ball on the right side of the field, dribbled in and sent a pass to Hinkemeyer who was in front of the goal just outside of the box. She delivered a high shot that went just above Mookencherry's outstretched hands to give the Bennies the win.
 
The Bennies outshot Carleton 21-14, including 10-7 in shots on net. Voss and Abby Willenbring led the team with two shots on net. Waters finished with four saves and Kahlmeyer added three to help Saint Benedict to its 10^th shutout of the season and sixth straight win.
 
CSB hosts the winner of Monday's Saint Mary's/St. Scholastica quarterfinal at 2 p.m. Wednesday in St. Joe. St. Scholastica beat Saint Mary's 2-1 Friday to end the regular season. The Bennies and Cardinals tied 0-0 in double overtime, and CSB beat the Saints 2-1 last week.