WAVERLY, Iowa – The Carleton College women's soccer team used a strong second half to down Wartburg College, 4-1, in a rare evening game for the visiting Knights. Carleton (14-1-1) scored three times in the final frame to win their final non-conference game of the regular season.
"I am so proud of this team; they never stop fighting," said Carleton head coach
Jessica Mueller. "Wartburg is a strong, fast, physical team, but we were able to settle into the game, connect passes, and execute some great goals."
Carleton continued its quick-starting ways, scoring in the first five minutes for the fourth time in the last five games. The Knights won a corner kick, then took a play straight off the training ground.
Cate Patterson rolled the ball short to
Ashlyn Haigh, who curled in a cross to the back post for
Piper Dean, who smashed a header across the goalmouth. The Wartburg (5-9-1, 3-3-0 ARC) goalkeeper Alena Miller made the initial save, but
Anna Borkowski punched it home on the rebound to open the scoring.
In the 23rd minute, Wartburg won the ball in midfield, and Natalie Thiesfeld cranked a long ball deep into the Carleton third. Morgan Hovis outraced her defenders and picked up the ball, dribbled into the box, and rounded the Carleton keeper to slot home the equalizer.
Carleton had a prolific first half, firing 25 shots towards goal. They couldn't find a second goal, as a couple chances went wanting. In the 34th minute, Patterson ripped a shot off the crossbar, and five minutes later,
Zaraya Jordan zipped a shot towards the far corner, but Miller dove to make one of her eight saves.
Whatever was in Coach Mueller's half-time talk appeared to work, as Carleton broke the tie in the 50th minute.
Kathryn Kresse received the ball off a thrown in, kept a defender on her back as she spun and dribbled across the top of the box. On the run, Kresse placed a shot into the top corner, scoring her team-leading seventh goal of the year. That was also her sixth game-winning goal, most among MIAC players this season.
Carleton found its third goal in the 55th minute. A Wartburg clearance found
Saheli Patel, who slipped it past a defender to find Dean about 25 yards out. The junior centerback dragged the ball back and sizzled a strike over the keeper and under the bar for her fifth goal of the season.
The scoring concluded in the 71st minute. Carleton worked the ball to
Casey MacVeagh in the corner, and she slung a cross into the box, right into the path of Patel, who leapt to meet it with her head and whistled it into the side-netting to tally her third goal of the campaign. MacVeagh notched her 15th career assist, moving into sole possession of third place in recorded team history.
Carleton's win was its seventh in a row, and the Knights' 14 wins are tied for third-most in team history. Carleton had 34 shots in the contest—tied for sixth-most by a MIAC team in a game this year—with 12 of those attempts on goal. Wartburg had eight shots, three on goal.
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton hosts Saint Mary's University at 3:30 PM on Saturday, Oct. 21 in the second part of a men's/women's Senior Day doubleheader.
Most Wins in Program History
18-6-0 (.750) — in 2008
15-3-2 (.800) — in 2010
14-3-0 (.824) — in 1982
14-1-1 (.906) — in 2023
13-5-0 (.722) — in 2007
13-2-3 (.806) — in 2022
Most Career Assists
1. 19 – Cate Patterson – 2019-pres
2. 16 – Mia Zutz – 2006-08
3. 15 – Casey MacVeagh, 2021-pres
4. 14 – Lily VanderStaay – 2008-11
5. 13 – Alicia Fischer – 1994,96-97
13 – Bailey Ulbricht – 2011-14
7. 12 – M. Russell-Dempsey – 1998-01
Most Career Points
1. 89 – Birungi Mutebi (40g, 9a) – 1998-01
2. 69 – Niki Tomita (30g, 9a) – 2008-11
3. 65 – Cate Patterson (23g, 19a) – 2019-pres
4. 58 – M.Russell-Dempsey (23g, 12a) – 1998-01
58 – Rose Koch (25g, 8a) – 1996-99
6. 56 – Nora Mertz (26g, 4a) – 2016-19
7. 54 – Ellie Wilson (22g, 10a) – 2011-14
8. 53 – Casey MacVeagh (19g, 15a) – 2021-pres
9. 50 – Nicky Bloom (21g, 8a) – 2005-08
50 – Lily VanderStaay (18g, 14a) – 2008-11
