NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The top-seeded Carleton College women's soccer team punch its ticket to the MIAC Playoffs championship for the second consecutive year thanks to a 3-0 semifinal victory over No. 6 seed Augsburg University.
 
"I'm so proud of this team," said Carleton head coach Jessica Mueller. "That was such a great game. We played a great second half. I'm so excited."
 
This was the first time these two sides had met in the postseason. The Knights (16-1-2, 9-0-2 MIAC) enjoyed a bye into the semifinals after capturing the MIAC's regular-season crown while Augsburg (11-4-4, 4-3-4 MIAC) upset No. 3 seed Macalester College in Monday's quarterfinals.
 
Carleton now has 16 victories on the season, the second-highest total in program history (see chart below).
 
The Knights began the semifinal without a hint of rust from their first-round bye, peppering the Augsburg goal to the tune of an 18-2 advantage in shots, including a "baker's dozen" shots on goal.
 
Barely 90 seconds after the opening whistle, Cate Patterson hooked the first attempt of the game from the edge of the box, which Augsburg goalkeeper Iz Shuster saved with her legs. The rebound resulted in a scramble, but the Auggies directed the follow ups wide for one of Carleton's 10 corner kicks.
 
The assist was the 21^st of Patterson's career, extending her own program record (see chart below).
 
Carleton's lightning start cooled down a few degrees once they failed to find the early goal, but in the 21st minute Sam Gotch found herself on the end of a through ball in the box and one-on-one with Shuster. Gotch whistled a high shot, but Shuster made a fingertip save to divert the ball over the crossbar.
 
In the 38th minute, Patterson slotted a weighted ball for Kathryn Kresse. The sophomore forward picked up the pass near the edge of the box, getting in alone with the keeper. Kresse slotted her low shot beneath the diving Shuster for her team-leading ninth goal of the season, giving the Knights a lead that they would maintain for the remainder of the contest.
 
Carleton held Augsburg without a shot during the first half, and the second half was much of the same in the early going. In the 65th minute, Lauren Caldwell was taken down just outside the 18-yard box, setting up a dangerous free kick try. Patterson and Piper Dean stood over the ball, but it would be Dean to take the shot, and the junior centerback whipped a curling shot just under the bar for her sixth goal of the season.
 
Carleton's attack was not done, as with eight minutes remaining in the contest the Knights would slam the door with Kresse sliding a ball through a crowd of Auggies to find strike partner Dylan Baker, who touched the ball into the box and finished calmly to put a stamp on the Knights victory. It was her first goal of the season.
 
Augsburg found a couple late shots after they went down three, but tries from Pheobe Alva Rosa and Malia Neumann were saved by Carleton keeper Avery Trapp. The Carleton defense registered its 12th clean sheet of the season, and the seventh for Trapp individually.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton will host No. 2 seed St. Catherine University in the MIAC Playoffs championship game for the second consecutive year. The contest will kick off at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4, with the winner crowned MIAC Playoff champions and earning the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championships.
 
Most Wins in Program History
18-6-0 (.750) — in 2008
16-1-2 (.895) — in 2023
15-3-2 (.800) — in 2010
14-3-0 (.824) — in 1982
13-5-0 (.722) — in 2007
13-2-3 (.806) — in 2022
 
Most Career Assists
1.         21 – 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.         67 – Cate Patterson (23g, 21a) – 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