ST. JOSEPH, Minn. - With the 2026 season on the horizon, the College of Saint Benedict soccer team will open its campaign at home as the Bennies host University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Tuesday, Sept. 1. The opening day bout will begin at 4:30 p.m. at CSB Stadium. 

 

The 2026 season will be the 18th under head coach Steve Kimble. In 17 seasons, Kimble has compiled a 161-101-35 record at CSB with a 102-58-16 mark in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play. The Bennies have posted a winning season in 13 of his 17 years at the helm. The 2025 team put together a 7-11 record with a 5-6 mark in conference contests.  

 

Senior Avery Soli (Ham Lake, Minn./Blaine) returns as the top scorer for Saint Ben's. During her junior season, Soli net five goals to go along with two assists for 12 points, all of which ranked second on the team. The Ham Lake, Minn. native appeared in 16 games, 13 of which she started, and logged a total of 891 minutes on the pitch.  

 

The Bennies saw depth in goal a season ago. Senior Rhianna Anya (Bloomington, Minn./Thomas Jefferson Sr.) appeared in 11 contests with eight starts and spent 619:12 minutes between the pipes. Anya led the team with 63 saves while allowing 10 goals, good for a .863 save percentage, and posted a 3-4 record. Sophomore Claire McGrath (Stillwater, Minn./Hill-Murray) made the most of her first year at CSB, as she spent 782:29 minutes in goal spanning 12 games. McGrath compiled a 4-6 record for the Bennies behind 60 saves. She allowed 18 goals across 12 contests, finishing the season with a .769 save percentage.  

 

The CSB roster will feature many new faces this season, as Tuesday's match will be the collegiate debut for 10 first-year Bennies. Autumn Simmons (Sartell, Minn./Sartell), Ella Verkinderen (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview), Mia Schellenberg (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park), Brynn Jonswold (Chanhassen, Minn./Chanhassen), Lauren Gazdzik (St. Cloud, Minn./St. Cloud Tech), Leah Jonswold (Chanhassen, Minn./Chanhassen), Lily DeRosier (Baxter, Minn./Brainerd), Mira Jackson (Roseville, Minn./Roseville Area), Eva Gower (Plymouth, Minn./Orono), and Samantha Hartnett (Saint Michael, Minn./St. Michael Albertville) will all wear Saint Benedict kits for the first time. Sophomore Tatum Janezich (Rogers, Minn./Providence Academy) will also make her CSB debut. Janezich transferred to Saint Benedict after playing the 2025 season for Emory University. 

 

The Bennies will meet UW-Eau Claire on the pitch for the 30th time, as the lengthy series dates back to 1987. CSB holds the upperhand in the matchup with a 16-11-2 overall record against the Blugolds. Most recently, the Bennies bested UWEC on the road, claiming a 1-nil victory Sept. 13, 2025. Now-sophomore Elly Prairie (Blaine, Minn./Spring Lake Park) scored the lone goal of the game, as she buried her first collegiate goal. Now-assistant coach Regan Melz assisted on the score.  

 

The game will be live streamed, which can be found here, while live stats can be accessed by clicking here.