ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – Mere minutes away from advancing to the MIAC Playoffs, the Carleton College absorbed a heartbreaking 1-0 double overtime loss at regionally ranked College of Saint Benedict in the regular-season finale.
 
The Knights (7-6-3, 4-6-1 MIAC) came into the day tied for seventh in the MIAC standings, but either 1) a win or 2) a tie plus help from around the conference would send Carleton back to the postseason. The first bit of "help" arrived when St. Catherine shutout St. Olaf to claim the conference's regular-season title. The next assistance came when Gustavus Adolphus knocked off Macalester. That meant either a win or a tie would punch the Knights' ticket to the playoffs, because Carleton held the tie breaker over St. Scholastica.
 
The Carleton-Saint Benedict game was deadlocked for the first half, with each team registering eight shots, and the Knights firing one more on goal than their opponents. The second half was a different story, with the Bennies (10-3-3, 8-1-2 MIAC) offense controlling much of the gameflow. The Knights' defense held strong against 11 shots, with Keya Mookencherry (Fy./Winnetka, Ill./New Trier) making 5-of her-9 saves in the period. The Knights had a few chances of their own, but the score remained knotted up at 0-0 headed into overtime.
 
Both overtime periods played out much like the first half, with the teams trading chances. As the minutes ticked away, the Knights inched closer to the playoffs, only to see the rug pulled out from under them when in the 108th minute, Ella Hinkemeyer placed a shot just below the crossbar from about 25 yards out.
 
"We played so well today," said Carleton head coach Jessica Mueller. "As usual, the team left everything on the field. It was a heartbreaking way to end the season, but we controlled what we could, competed at a high level, and created some quality chances. I couldn't be any more proud of this team and the hard working, resilient culture they've created. This is a special program with a bright future."
 
For the Knights, Casey MacVeagh (So./Thetford, Vt./Thetford Academy), Cate Patterson (Jr./Racine, Wis./Prairie School), and Annette Shumway (Sr./Arlington, Va./Yorktown) accounted for 9 of the team's 14 shots, and all 7 of the Knights' shots on goal. The nine saves for Mookencherry were a career high.
 
This marked the second straight time the Knights played their final game of the season against St. Ben's. In 2019, Carleton lost 2-0 in St. Joseph to end the regular season before a rematch in the playoffs just three days later saw the Knights fall again, this time by a 3-2 score.