ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – With the MIAC playoffs three weeks away, the College of Saint Benedict soccer team is heading to Northfield, Minn., for a pivotal road matchup against No. 24 Carleton College (9-1-2, 5-0-1 MIAC) at 3:30 p.m., on Tuesday, Oct. 14 at Bell Field.   

The Bennies (5-8 overall, 3-3 MIAC) are looking to regroup after a tough 3-2 loss to Macalester on Oct. 11 in St. Paul. Despite the setback, Saint Benedict remains fifth in the conference standings with nine points, battling Saint Mary's (eight points) and St. Scholastica (eight points) for one of the final two MIAC playoffs spots. The top six teams in the standings will earn a spot in the MIAC Tournament, scheduled for Nov. 3–8, making every match down the stretch critical. After facing Carleton on the road, CSB will return home to home St. Catherine at 3:30 p.m., on Saturday, Oct. 18.
 
Season Review - Stats and More
St. Ben's has recently put together MIAC wins over Gustavus (2-0), St. Scholastica (4-0), and Bethel (3-0), and added a 5-2 nonconference victory over UW-Stout along the way. CSB's losses came against Augsburg and St. Olaf, both by 2-0 scores and a 3-2 loss at Macalester. Against Macalester, Gabby Fernholz scored her first career goal while Summer Seamans also had a goal, which was her third of the team as she has nine points on the season for third on CSB.

This season, St. Benedict has tallied 19 goals or 1.58 through 13 games. Opponents average 1.50 goals per game. In terms of shots, opponents have a 19.3 to 13.8 shots edge. The Bennies have made 88 shots on goal with opponents recording 114. CSB trails opponents in corner kicks, 56-to-37, while owning a 96-to-69 saves advantage.

Senior forward Addison Stephani has been an offensive catalyst. Stephani has scored six goals this season—three of them coming in the victories over Gustavus and St. Scholastica—and leads the team with 13 points (10th, MIAC). She currently ranks tied for seventh in the MIAC in total goals.

Junior Avery Soli has also been a key contributor, tallying four goals and an assist across back-to-back wins over Bethel and UW-Stout. Her two-goal performances in both matches marked a rare feat not seen at CSB since Megan Thompson achieved it in 2019. Soli was named MIAC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 22 and now sits at 12 points on the season, with her five goals ranking 12th in the conference.

Meanwhile, on the defensive end, junior goalkeeper Rhianna Anya has continued to shine. Anya, who earned MIAC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 15, notched her first career full-match shutout in the win over Gustavus. She's allowed just four goals in 394.12 minutes,  which includes an 0.91 goal against average with 37 saves for a .902 save percentage. Claire McGrath has a 1.80 goals against average in 550:48 in the net. McGrath has a team-high 49 saves with an .817 save percentage.

Scouting the Knights
Directed by head coach Jessica Mueller (59-14-17), Carleton has opened the season 9-1-2 with a 5-0-1 record in the MIAC - tied with St. Olaf with 16 conference points. In recent action, Carleton recorded a 3-0 win over Gustavus Adolphus on Oct. 11 which is among their six straight wins, including five against MIAC schools, since tying St. Olaf, 1-1, on Sept. 16. Carleton averages 2.67 goals per game on 32 scored this year. They have allowed just seven goals or 0.58 per game. In addition, the Knights own a 15.7-to-8.0 shots per game edge. Goal leaders for Carleton include Claire Burbery, Kathryn Kresse and Ashlyn Haigh each with six on the season. Goalie Avery Trapp has allowed seven goals in 1080:00 minutes with a 0.58 goals against average. She has 44 saves with an .863 save percentage.

Series Breakdown
The series between the Bennies and Knights has been competitive over the decades. The Bennies hold a 23-19-2 advantage all-time. At home, CSB is 17-9-1 but 6-10-1 on the road with a 22-18-2 conference mark. In the last meeting, CSB dropped a 2-1 decision on Nov. 2, 2024. CSB's last win was a 1-0 decision on Oct. 30, 2021. In the first-ever meeting, CSB fell to Carleton, 5-0, on Oct. 1, 1985.

Kimble Reaches Coaching Milestone
Earlier this season, head coach Steve Kimble celebrated a major milestone—his 100th MIAC victory came in a 2-0 win over Gustavus. Now in his 17th year at the helm, Kimble has compiled a 159-98-35 record. His coaching résumé includes 13 winning seasons, 11 MIAC Playoff appearances, and 10 top four finishes in the conference.