BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Carleton College women's soccer team was rewarded for its second straight MIAC regular-season title with a host of awards as the conference coaches announced their end-of-season awards. Four Knights were tabbed to the all-conference team, including junior center back Piper Dean, who was voted the MIAC Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Head Coach Jessica Mueller selected by her peers as MIAC Women's Soccer Coach of the Year for the second year running.
 
This is the first time in program history that Carleton took home either MIAC Player-of-the-Year recognition or MIAC Coach-of-the-Year honors in back-to-back seasons, let alone capturing both awards in consecutive years.
 
Dean was a major part of a Knights' defense that finished tied for 10th in the country in goals against average (.400), allowing only 8 goals in 20 games this season, including not surrendering more than 1 goal in any single contest. Dean also contributed offensively, as she is tied for second on the team with six goals, including a pair of game-winning scores.
 
Mueller, in just her third season at the helm for Carleton, guided the Knights to a 16-2-2 overall record—the second-highest win total in program history—and a berth in the upcoming NCAA Championships.
 
Joining Dean on the All-MIAC team were senior midfielder Cate Patterson, sophomore forward Kathryn Kresse, and sophomore defender Sam Gotch.
 
Patterson has written her name all over the Carleton record books. She has 21 career assists, the highest total in recorded program history. Her 67 points and 23 goals rank third and fifth in team annals. She is the fourth Carleton women's soccer player to receive all-conference recognition four times (see list below). Patterson is tied for second on the team this season with 6 assists this season to go along with 5 goals, including her first career hat trick against UW-River Falls.
 
Kresse led the Knights' attack all season long, pacing the squad with 9 goals, 8 assists, and 26 points. In games where she registered at least a point, the Knights were a perfect 14-0 on the season. Kresse had 8-game-winning goals on the season, which is tied for most across all three divisions of NCAA women's soccer.
 
Gotch provided another solid anchor on the outside of the Knights' backline. She was a key cog in a Knights backline which enjoyed a program-record unbeaten run of 16 games (14-0-2) topping the streak of 14 games set in 2022.
 
Dean and Kresse were both selected to the All-Playoff Team after helping Carleton advance to the conference tournament finals for the second time in as many years.
 
The Knights received an at-large bid to the 2023 NCAA Championships where they will play California Lutheran in the first round on Saturday, Nov. 11. That game will be held at Pomona-Pitzer.
 
Four-time All-Conference Honorees
Sophie Wood (2005^, 2006, 2007^, & 2008)
Niki Tomita (2008^, 2009, 2010, & 2011)
Abby Willis (2008, 2009^, 2010, & 2011)
Cate Patterson (2019^, 2021, 2022, & 2023)

^all-conference honorable mention