ST. JOSEPH, Minn. -- The College of Saint Benedict Soccer Team (4-3-1, 2-1-1 MIAC) faces a challenging weekend with games against the MIAC leader St. Catherine (8-2, 4-0 MIAC) on the road on Saturday (Sept. 30) at 1 p.m., in St. Paul, Minn., and a nonconference matchup with No. 25 Simpson (8-1-0, 1-0-0) at 3:30 p.m., on Sunday, Oct. 1 at the CSB Stadium Turf Field.
 
CSB, which is ranked eighth in Region IX by the United Soccer Coaches, has opened the season with a 4-3-1 record, including 2-1-1 in MIAC play. CSB most recently had a 1-1 tie with Augsburg in MIAC play at home on Wednesday as the Bennies sit fifth in the league but just a half game out of third place Macalester (3-1). CSB dropped a 2-1 decision to Macalester on Sept. 12. The Bennies bounced back shutting out Hamline to win 2-0 on Sept. 16. CSB defeated Wartburg College (3-0) and Saint Mary's (1-0) before the tie with Augsburg. The Bennies have scored 1.5 goals and allowed 1.0 through its eight games.
 
St. Catherine Notes
After an 8-2 start overall, including 4-0 in the MIAC, St. Catherine is the No. 5 ranked team in Region IX by the United Soccer Coaches. The Wildcats are directed by sixth-year head coach Jesse Campos, who led the Wildcats to the program's first-ever regular season MIAC championship in 2021 and later earned an NCAA DIII Tournament bid. St. Catherine has averaged 2.3 goals and allowed just .40 for a difference of 1.90 per game. St. Kate's has made 176 shots and recorded 49 saves with a .925 save percentage. Ari Green has been one of the top players in the MIAC with eight goals (2^nd in the MIAC) in 10 games while Amanda Elton (6^th, MIAC) has four goals and Kallen Tuominen has three. Senior goalkeeper Kate Praetz has seven shutouts and eight wins this season.
 
Simpson Notes
Simpson, which is directed by head coach Jeremy Reinhart, has been ranked for the first time in school history. The Storm, which is 1-0 in the American Rivers Conference, has opened the season 8-1-0 with wins over MIAC schools Gustavus, 3-1; and Carleton, 1-0. This season, Simpson is averaging 2.11 goals per game and putting up 16.7 shots. Cassie Nash leads the team with eight goals and five assists for 21 shots. Senior goalkeeper Lani Mears has four shutouts and 0.20 goals allowed average.
 
Series Notes - St. Catherine, Simpson 
Against St. Catherine, CSB has a 17-7-2 overall record. A year ago, CSB was 0-1-1 against them with a 1-1 tie (lost by shootout) in MIAC semifinals at St. Joseph, Minn., after St. Kate's took a 2-1 win on Sept. 14, 2002, in St. Paul. CSB, which is 8-3-2 at home, stands 9-4 in road games with a 17-4 conference record. The Bennies, which won the first matchup on Oct. 16, 2001, by a 5-0 score, is 1-7-2 in past 10 games against the Wildcats. The Bennies won 17 straight against the Wildcats from Oct. 16, 2001, until Oct. 10, 2017.
 
CSB and Simpson will meet for the fourth time with the Bennies holding a 2-1 lead in a series dating to a 5-0 CSB win at Indianola, Iowa, on Sept. 3, 2001. CSB had a 1-0 double overtime win on Sept. 7, 2007 and a 1-0 loss on Sept. 23, 2009 also on the road. This is the first-ever meeting in St. Joseph.
 
NOTES ON CSB
In 2023, the Bennies have shown balance with goals from nine players. Junior forward, Alli Voss, who was All-MIAC a year ago, leads CSB and ranks 10th the MIAC with three goals on the season. Voss, who had goals in three straight matches this year, has 18 career goals. The Bennies have 10 players who have scored a goal. Addison Stephani has a goal and two assists. Voss leads CSB in scoring with seven points. She also has a team-high 19 shots.

In goal, Annie Waters has 0.93 goals against average and 22 saves with a .759 save percentage. Caralyn Conners has 14 shots and three on goal while Abby Willenbring has made 12 shots with seven on goal and Ella Young has 10 shots with six on goal.

Quick season review - CSB Soccer
The Bennies, which have won three games by shutouts, opened the season 1-2 with all contests decided by a single goal. On Sept. 1-2, the Bennies split a pair of games as they dropped a 1-0 decision at 12th ranked University of Wisconsin-La Crosse before rebounding with a 2-1 win at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Then, against UW-Eau Claire, the Bennies rallied from a 2-0 deficit with goals from Erica Golenzer and Chloe Moore to draw even. UW-EC scored in the 88^th minute to edge past the Bennies.
 
In the opener, CSB lost to the nationally ranked Eagles in a contest that saw Hayley Slaski score the lone goal. CSB goalie Annie Waters had eight saves in facing 25 shots. CSB had five shots, including two on goal.
 
In game two, the Bennies opened up the scoring in the 34th minute from senior Lana Krautkremer, who recorded her sixth goal of her career off an assist from Addison Stephani. In the second half, the Bennies also received a goal from Ella Young, who had her fifth career goal at the 83:48 mark. UWSP scored with 85:17 left but CSB's defense stepped up as the Bennies recorded its second win of the season.

After trailing at halftime in game three against UW-Eau Claire, the Bennies rallied to tie the game late in the second half. First, the deficit was cut in half as senior Erica Golenzer tallied her eighth career goal with a shot to the low right side of the goal at the 54:22 mark. Then first-year Chloe Moore scored on a high right shot to the goal at 74:44 to draw even. The game-winning goal was by UW-EC's Kori Millis at the 87:46 mark of the second half.

In the MIAC opener on the road, CSB took a 2-1 loss at Macalester but had a goal from Olivia Miller who scored off a corner kick with an assist to senior Abby Willenbring. Against the Scotts, CSB had a 14-to-8 shots edge including 7-5 in shots in goals but came up a little short.

In the home MIAC opener on Sept. 16, the Bennies responded with two second half goals, including at 70:54 by Avery Soli, whose scoring play was the first of her career. At 73:11, Alli Voss, off an assist by Emma Young, scored her first goal of the season and give CSB a 2-0 lead. The Bennies had a 9-to-4 shots edge and 4-to-1 margin in corner kicks.

Saint Benedict made it two straight wins with a 3-0 decision over Wartburg in nonconference play at home on Sept. 17. Voss played a key role in the win over the Knights with an assist and goal for three points. She has scored goals in consecutive games. Voss's assist to Grace Fitzgibbons allowed CSB to take a 1-0 lead at 59:42. Fitzgibbons scored her first goal of the season and second of her career. At 82.00, Voss scored her second of the season and 17^th of her career. Then, Sydney Burns finished off the scoring with a goal at 85:26 off an assist from Ella Young for the 3-0 decision.

Then, they travel on Sept. 24 to Winona, Minn., and defeated Saint Mary's, 1-0, on Voss's game-winning goal at 76:16 to improve to 2-1 in the MIAC. With a goal from Addison Stephani with 1:06 to play in the first half, CSB had a 1-1 draw with Augsburg on Sept. 27.

Kimble directs CSB Soccer
Head Coach Steve Kimble has directed CSB to 12 winning seasons in 14 years and a 144-79-28 record including 92-43-14 in the MIAC. The program has had 20 All-Region athletes, 34 All-MIAC honorees and 19 All-MIAC honorable mention selections during his tenure. A year ago, the Bennies had numerous honors, including five first-team All-MIAC performers for the first time in school history. It is a group that will lead this team again in 2023.