ST. JOSEPH, Minn. -- With just three games left in the regular season, the College of Saint Benedict soccer team finds itself at a turning point. Standing at 5-10 overall and 3-5 in MIAC play, the Bennies travel to Winona on Wednesday, Oct. 22, for a 3:30 p.m., matchup against Saint Mary's University — a team also fighting for one of the final MIAC Playoff spots.
 
The game with SMUh begins a pivotal final stretch for CSB, which will return home to face Concordia College on Oct. 25 before wrapping up the regular season at Hamline on Nov. 1. The MIAC Playoffs begin shortly after, running from Nov. 3–8.

Momentum Needed After Close Losses
CSB enters the final stretch seeking a return to form after a series of tightly contested defeats. Most recently, the Bennies dropped a 3-2 heart-breaker at Macalester. Summer Seaman tallied her third goal of the season, and sophomore Gabby Fernholz celebrated her first collegiate goal in the loss. That followed a tough 3-0 defeat to nationally ranked No. 23 Carleton on Oct. 14.

Earlier in October, CSB also suffered narrow defeats to St. Olaf (1-0) and Augsburg (2-0), results that halted their midseason momentum.

A Season of Ups and Downs
While the recent schedule has been challenging, the season has featured flashes of excellence — none more impressive than a four-game winning streak from Sept. 20–27. That stretch included:

• A 3-0 shutout of Bethel in the conference opener
• A 5-2 nonconference win over UW-Stout
• A 4-0 win over St. Scholastica
• A 2-0 shutout at Gustavus Adolphus

Senior forward Addison Stephani and junior Avery Soli were catalysts during that run. Stephani scored three goals over the wins against St. Scholastica and Gustavus, boosting her season total to a team-best six goals. Soli caught fire with four goals and an assist across the Bethel and UW-Stout matches — including back-to-back two-goal games, a feat last achieved by a Bennie in 2019. Her breakout earned her MIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors. Earlier in the season, junior goalkeeper Rhianna Anya earned MIAC Defensive Player of the Week after a standout run in net. The win over Bethel marked a complete team performance. Soli and Stephani found the net, while Anya and fellow keeper Claire McGrath combined for a clean sheet.

Tough Tests, Big Moments
CSB's early nonconference schedule featured difficult matchups against strong opposition. In September, the Bennies picked up their first win of the season with a 1-0 victory at UW-Eau Claire, thanks to a game-winner by first-year forward Elly Prairie. The next day, Stephani scored in a close 2-1 loss to UW-Oshkosh.
Offensive firepower also surged in the 5-2 win over UW-Stout and the 4-0 win over St. Scholastica, which included first career goals from Jessica Decowski and Seaman.

The Bennies have also battled nationally ranked teams, including a 4-0 road loss to then-No. 5 Emory and a narrow 2-1 defeat to Wartburg.

By the Numbers
Through 15 games, the Bennies have scored 19 goals (1.27 per game) while conceding 27 (1.80 per game). Despite being outshot 294–194 and trailing in corner kicks, 76–41, CSB's goalkeeping has been a bright spot. CSB goalkeepers have combined for 125 saves—far surpassing the 77 saves made by opponents.

• Stephani leads the team with six goals and 13 points
• Soli follows closely with five goals and 12 points
• Seaman has three goals and three assists with 16 shots on goal
• Anya has a .848 save percentage and 1.70 goals allowed average with 56 saves
• McGrath has a 1.97 goals against average with a .800 save percentage and 56 saves

Scouting the Cardinals
Saint Mary's (8-5-2 overall, 2-4-2 MIAC) is also battling for playoff position. Led by sixth-year head coach Nick Rizzo, who is nearing the 100-win milestone, the Cardinals average 1.80 goals per game while allowing just 0.93.

Offensively, they're led by Lauryn Skoruppa (12 goals, 3 assists) and Samantha Munson (7 goals, 4 assists). The Cardinals have taken 14.2 shots per game, earned 88 corners, and recorded 46 saves on the year.

Series History  
Historically, CSB has controlled the series, holding a 28-16-3 advantage. However, Saint Mary's claimed the most recent meeting — a 2-1 win on Sept. 28, 2024. The rivalry dates back to 1984, when CSB fell 3-2 in the inaugural matchup. On the road in Winona, the Bennies have a solid 12-4-2 record.

Kimble leads CSB Soccer
This season also marked a milestone for head coach Steve Kimble, who notched his 100th MIAC win during the victory over Gustavus. Now in his 17th year, Kimble holds a career record of 159-100-35. Under his leadership, CSB has posted 13 winning seasons, earned 11 playoff appearances, and finished in the MIAC's top four 10 times.