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Eva Gower shooting against Central Sept. 6, 2026
Meredith Mahoney
1
Saint Benedict CSB (11-1-2, 6-1-2)
1
St. Olaf STO (10-2-4, 6-2-1)
Saint Benedict CSB
(11-1-2, 6-1-2)
1
Final
1
St. Olaf STO
(10-2-4, 6-2-1)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Saint Benedict CSB 0 1 1
St. Olaf STO 0 1 1

Game Recap: Soccer |

Last-Second Heroics Land Soccer a Draw at St. Olaf

Gower scores in final second of action to tie score at 1-1

NORTHFIELD, Minn. - The phrase "every second counts" could not be more true than for the College of Saint Benedict soccer team Tuesday, Oct. 20, as a goal by first-year Eva Gower (Plymouth, Minn./Orono) gave the Bennies a 1-1 draw in a crucial Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) contest at St. Olaf College. The highly-contested draw, featuring two of the top-four teams in the conference, put CSB at 11-1-2 overall, 6-1-2 in MIAC play. 

Doing anything to erase a 1-nil deficit, Saint Benedict's offense finally broke through with less than 10 seconds left to play. After a header by sophomore Elly Prairie (Blaine, Minn./Spring Lake Park) put the ball in Gower's feet, the first-year maneuvered around her defender for a clean look at the goal with three seconds to play. After her first attempt was stopped by the Ole's goalkeeper, Gower never gave up, chasing down her rebound and booting it to the back of the net with a second to spare. The goal, her 10th of the season, granted the Bennies a draw in conference play amid a closely-contested battle for second place and a first-round bye in the MIAC Playoffs. 

In goal, senior Rhianna Anya (Bloomington, Minn./Thomas Jefferson Sr.) played a clean first half for the Bennies, as she made seven saves over the first 45 minutes. Sophomore Anna Mollenhauer (Owatonna, Minn./Owatonna) checked in for the second half, notching four stops along with one goal allowed.

The Oles looked ready to crack the scoreboard first, but a shot by the nation's leading scorer, Emily Johnson, was blocked by the CSB defense in the eighth minute of action. Johnson fired off another shot shortly after, this time into the arms of Anya in goal at the 11 minute mark. St. Olaf's relentless offense continued, but another block and an Anya stop kept the match scoreless through 16 minutes. 

Gower got the Bennies their first look at gaining the lead. The first-year sent a shot towards the goal in the 21st minute, but just missed the target to maintain a scoreless battle. Shortly after, St. Olaf's Roxanne Rundle ripped a shot on goal, as the ball sailed into the arms of Anya for one of her seven saves.

Saint Ben's looked to capitalize on a corner kick in the 22nd minute, but the opportunity was stymied by a crashing Oles defense. 

Facing a one-v-one opportunity, Anya came through with a point-blank save to keep the home team off the board after 29 minutes. She added another stellar stop with six minutes left in the opening half, as her seven-save effort kept the contest in reach for the Bennies. 

The Oles wasted little time testing Mollenhauer in goal, as she notched her first save of the night in the 49th minute. 

The Bennies used the possession to eye their own opportunity, as Gower found herself free from deep after 52 minutes of action. The first-year launched a shot on target, but St. Olaf's keeper, Charlotte Percy, hauled in the shot to maintain the shutout. 

The scoreless bout finally saw the home team jump in front in the 60th minute, as Rachel Anderson sent one just out of reach of Mollenhauer to push the Oles ahead, 1-nil. 

Looking for any chance to tie the match, junior Jessica Decowski (Eden Prairie, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret) narrowly buried the equalizer, but her shot in the 69th minute went high.

Mollenhauer caught a rocket of a shot with just under 10 minutes left in the match, setting up the CSB offense. The Bennies used the momentum to race down the field, drawing a free kick off a foul. The Bennies came up empty on the free kick, but never lost hope in the race, as Gower's neutralizing goal in the final second of action granted the Bennies a tie.

Saint Benedict returns home for its final home match of the regular season. The Bennies host league-leading Carleton College Saturday, Oct. 24, for a 1 p.m. contest.
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