WAVERLY, Iowa – In its first road contest of the season, the College of Saint Benedict soccer team picked up a 2-1 win at Wartburg College Saturday night, Sept. 5. The win bumps the Bennies to 2-0 on the season, marking the best start since the 2019 team won the first two matches of the year. The Knights dip to 0-1-1 on the year.
CSB utilized goals from sophomores Tatum Janezich (Rogers, Minn./Providence Academy) and
Laila Totushek (Blaine, Minn./Spring Lake Park). First-year
Eva Gower (Plymouth, Minn./Orono) notched her first collegiate assist, coming on Totushek's score.
Senior Rhianna Anya (Bloomington, Minn./Thomas Jefferson Sr.) recorded her second consecutive win in goal, as she made four saves over the first 45 minutes. First-year
Samantha Hartnett (Saint Michael, Minn./Saint Michael Albertville) made her collegiate debut, recording two saves with one goal allowed while in goal for the second half.
As a team, Saint Ben's finished with the narrow advantage in shots (13-12) and shots on goal (8-7). Each team registered six saves and was awarded two corner kicks.
Gower looked poised to get the Bennies on the board first, as the first-year made her way down the pitch in the 23rd minute. Trying to shake off her defender, Gower ripped a shot, but Wartburg's keeper was able to get a hand on it, pushing it out of play.
Quickly marching with the ball, the Knights countered with a scoring opportunity of their own two minutes later. Anya thwarted the attack, as she was able to come up with a key save to keep the game scoreless.
The save by Anya put the Bennies in transition, as the ball quickly found its way into CSB's attacking third. WC stripped the ball away from Saint Ben's initially, but an unsuccessful attempt to clear it out placed the ball right in front of Janezich. The Rogers, Minn. Native wasted no time, as she booted one from deep past the Wartburg keeper to break the stalemate in the 25th minute of the contest.
The goal from Janezich was the lone score of the first half, as the Bennies took a 1-nil lead into halftime.
Saint Benedict stayed in control to open the second half. Totushek beautifully controlled a pass from Gower, maneuvered around her defender and buried her shot into the top left corner of the goal to make it 2-nil in the 56th minute.
Wartburg quickly answered to break up the shutout, using a foul just outside the 18-yard mark to its advantage. The goal in the 59th minute trimmed the Bennies' lead to one, 2-1.
Hartnett came up with her first collegiate save, as she stopped a key Knights scoring opportunity. The first-year then came up with her second less than a minute later, keeping CSB in front with just under 27 minutes left to play.
Saint Ben's went on to control the contest the rest of the game, securing the 2-1 road victory.
The Bennies quickly return to action, as they head to Central College for a 1 p.m.bout in Pella, Iowa, Sunday, Sept. 6.
