ST. JOSEPH, Minn. - The College of Saint Benedict soccer team is set to make its first appearance in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Playoff Semifinals since 2022, as the No. 4 seed Bennies (12-1-4) will travel to top-seed Carleton College Thursday, Nov. 5. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m. at Bell Field.  

 

Saint Ben's needed penalty kicks to escape fifth-seeded Macalester College in the MIAC Playoff Quarterfinals Tuesday night, Nov. 3. CSB battled to a 1-1 draw with the Scots (8-9-1) before taking a 5-4 edge in the shootout. Sophomore Veronica Warren (North Oaks, Minn./Mounds View) scored the lone goal for the home team, while senior Rhianna Anya (Bloomington, Minn./Thomas Jefferson Sr.) made 10 saves spanning all 110 minutes in goal. First-year Samantha Hartnett (Saint Michael, Minn./St. Michael Albertville) stepped in during the penalty shootout, leading the Bennies to a 5-4 edge to keep the season alive. 

 

Saint Benedict's offense has been led by first-year Eva Gower (Plymouth, Minn./Orono) all season, as she enters with team-highs of 12 goals and 28 points. Sophomore Elly Prairie (Blaine, Minn./Spring Lake Park) sits second with seven scores and 18 points. First-year Lilly DeRosier (Baxter, Minn./Brainerd) rounds out the top three with six goals and 14 points. With five assists on the season, sophomore Allison Cammerrer (Savage, Minn./Prior Lake) sits atop the team. Four Bennies follow Cammerrer, as Gower, Prairie, and juniors Sienna Chase (Tustin, Calif./Orange Lutheran) and Gabby Fernholz (Rice, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice) all have four.  

 

Anya enters the bout ranked third nationally in save percentage with a .918 mark on the season. The senior brings in a team-high 45 saves and 875 minutes in goal. Sophomore Anna Mollenhauer (Owatonna, Minn./Owatonna) is second with 315 minutes between the iron and 26 saves. 

 

CSB will meet Carleton (12-1-2) for the 47th time dating back to 1985. The Bennies hold a slim 23-20-3 advantage in the series, but recent history has favored the Knights. In the regular season matchup, the two teams walked away with a scoreless draw. The Bennies stellar defensive efforts were highlighted by a seven-save shutout effort for Anya. Her, along with the stalwart defensive back line of sophomore Scarlett Johanson (South Saint Paul, Minn./South St. Paul Secondary), Chase and first-year Mia Schellenberg (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park), limited Carleton's offense to 14 shots on the night, just seven on frame. The Bennies will battle the Knights for the third time in the MIAC Playoffs with the series tied at 1-1. The most recent playoff battle came in the 2019 quarterfinals. Saint Ben's snagged a 3-2 win in the match to advance to the MIAC Semifinals for the first time since 2013. Roxy Veldman scored two goals in the game, while Megan Thompson added the other score. Kendall Koenen logged all 90 minutes in goal, totaling four saves. Carleton enjoyed a first-round bye and enters the contest after most recently downing Gustavus Adolphus College, 4-2, Saturday, Oct. 31.  

 

The game will be live streamed behind a paywall per MIAC Championship streaming regulations, which can be found here. Free live stats can be accessed here, while tickets to the match can be purchased in advance here.