NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Carleton College women's soccer team is headed back to the NCAA Division III Championships for the third consecutive season. The Knights (16-2-2) earned the MIAC's automatic bid to the national tournament and will face NCAC champion John Carroll University (13-5-1) in the first round on Saturday, Nov. 15 in Lake Forest, Ill. Kickoff is slated for 1:30 p.m.
 
The other opening-round contest in the four-team pod features host and MWC Lake Forest College (20-0-0) facing SLIAC champion Spalding University (14-4-2). The winners of Saturday's first-round games will meet at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 16 with a spot at the Sectional Semifinals at stake. 
 
SCHEDULE
First Round - Saturday, November 15
Game 1: Spaulding vs. Lake Forest | 11:00 a.m. | Live Stats | Live Video 
Game 2: John Carrol vs. Carleton | 1:30 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Video 
 
Second Round - Sunday, November 16
Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 | 1:00 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Video

Final NCAA Power Index (NPI) rankings
No. 12 - Lake Forest 
No. 16 - Carleton
No. 60 - John Carroll
No. 100 - Spalding

How Carleton Got Here
The Knights earned 1 of 43 automatic bids to the 64-team field. At 16-2-2 (.850), Carleton has already tied the second-highest win total in program history. The Knights won back-to-back-to-back MIAC regular season crowns in 2022, 2023, and 2024 before finishing second this fall after going 9-1-1 in conference play. During the 2025 MIAC Playoffs, Carleton defeated crosstown rival St. Olaf 1-0 on Lola Feuer's overtime goal and bested top seed (and NCAA Tournament at-large selection) St. Catherine University 1-0 thanks to the first career goal for defender Zaraya Jordan.
 
Carleton went 3-1-1 vs. NCAA Tournament teams this season:
8/30  --  T, 1-1 vs. Johns Hopkins (NPI :15)
9/13  --  L, 0-2 vs. Loras (NPI: 28)
9/24  --  W, 3-2 vs. UW-La Crosse (NPI: 36)
10/4  --  W, 1-0 vs. St. Catherine (NPI: 30)
11/8  --  W, 1-0 vs. St. Catherine NPI: 30)
Additionally, the Knights went 2-0-1 against the first two teams on the outside of the at-large team bubble:
9/5  --  W, 3-0 vs. Hope (NPI: 43)
9/16  --  T, 1-1 vs. St. Olaf (NPI: 42)
11/6  --  W, 1-0 (OT) vs. St. Oalf (NPI: 42)
 
The Knights were third among MIAC squads in scoring at 2.35 goals per game (69th in D-III) and were second in the conference with a .448 goals against average (22nd in D-III). Carleton has recorded 14 shutouts this season—tied for the highest total in program history—with clean sheets in 11 of the last 12 games.
 
Carleton owns a 47-9 goal differential, with 15 players finding the back of the net, including six players with at least four games. Senior Claire Burbery paced the team in scoring with 9 goals (t-6th in the MIAC) and tied for tops on the squad with 5 assists for 23 points. Kathryn Kresse was next on the roster with 7 goals and 5 helpers, while Lauren Caldwell contributed 5 goals and 5 assists. Midfielders Ashlyn Haigh and Lola Feurer both tallied 6 goals with 2 assists, and defender Sam Gotch chipped in 4 goals and 3 assists. Burbery, Kresse, and Gotch each had 3 game-winning goals.
 
Defensively, the Knights are anchored by centerbacks Maya Lacey and Zaraya Jordan in front of goalkeeper Avery Trapp, who ranks second in the MIAC in shutouts (10), save percentage (.864), and goals against average (.467).
 
This will be Carleton's sixth all-time trip to the NCAA Championships, as the Knights previously played in the national tournament in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2023, and 2024. In 2008, Carleton advanced to the Sectional Finals ("Elite Eight"), while the 2009 squad made it to the second round. In both 2010 and 2023, the Knights lost in the first round, however, the 2023 setback was by a 3-2 tally to eventual national champion California Lutheran University. Last year, Carleton tied UW-Superior 0-0 before advancing 3-2 in PKs. In the second round, Carleton played No. 2 Loras to a scoreless draw but fell 4-2 in PKs.