CHICAGO, Ill. – A "Sweet" season for the Carleton College women's soccer team became an "Elite" one on Saturday. Avery Trapp's heroic penalty shootout performance, in which she made two saves and scored the game-clinching spot-kick, pushed the Knights to a 4-2 penalty triumph over the Swarthmore College Garnet after a 1-1 (2OT) draw. Playing in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2008, the result advances Carleton to its second trip to the NCAA Quarterfinals ("Elite 8") program history.
 
Swarthmore (15-3-5, 9-0-1 Centennial Conference) entered the game ranked at No. 13 in the most recent United Soccer Coaches poll, and No. 20 in the NCAA Power Index (NPI). Carleton (18-2-3, 9-1-1 MIAC) was just above them in NPI, at No. 16.
 
Swarthmore struck first, pressuring Carleton from the kickoff and getting on the board in the sixth minute when a Sydney Ross shot from the corner of the 18-yard box snaked through Knights defenders and into the bottom corner.
 
That goal snapped a 558:30-minute shutout streak for Carleton, dating back to Oct. 25 against Bethel. That is the second-longest shutout streak since 1992 for the program. It trails only, incredibly, the 697:42-minute streak that preceded that Bethel game this season (see chart below).
 
In the 14th minute, Lola Feurer was able to wriggle away from a trio of Garnet defenders and put a shot on frame that was saved by Dahlia Bedward. The next quarter hour did not feature much in the way of chances, until Carleton won a 29th-minute corner.
 
Claire Burbery's delivery was initially headed out towards the penalty spot, but Feurer met the ball there and nodded it back into the six. Ashlyn Haigh got under the ball and flicked a header over her back shoulder that looped over Bedward and into the net to tie the proceedings at 1-1.
 
Chances were hard to come by in the second half as well, with only one shot being taken in the first 20 minutes of the frame. In the 69th minute, a nice flick found Nicole Jensen alone in the box, but her one-on-one shot was saved by Trapp. The Knights' keeper made another reaction save on a Charlotte Carleton volley in the 85^th minute, and the game went to extra time.
 
After a quiet first overtime period, Swarthmore put Carleton on the back foot in the second extra stanza. The Garnet took five shots in total, but could not find the net. Haigh had a good crack at a second goal in the 106th minute, but her 30-yard one-timer was held by substitute goalkeeper Lila Travers, and the game officially ended in a draw, with penalties needed to separate the sides.
 
Goalscorer Haigh began the penalty procession, tucking home her kick to the left. Trapp made a diving stop on Ross, the opening taker for the Garnet. Kathryn Kresse and Jordan Vrees exchanged makes. After a Knights shot sailed high, Charlotte Carleton tied the shootout for Swarthmore. Feurer ripped her kick into the corner for a 3-2 advantage, and Trapp made another save. The junior netminder hopped off the ground, strode to the spot herself, and lashed home from 12 yards to clinch an Elite Eight berth for her team.
 
Trapp totaled four saves in the 110 minutes of regular and extra time, and tacked on two penalty stops. Bedward made two saves for Swarthmore, and Travers had three. Overall, the Garnet outshot Carleton 18-13, but six Knights shots were on net, to five for Swarthmore.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton squares off with pod host University of Chicago in the NCAA Championships Quarterfinal with a trip to the Final Four at stake. Kickoff is set for 1:00 pm. on Sunday, Nov. 23. The Maroons are listed at No. 4 in the final NPI rankings, and No. 7 in the USC poll.
 
Longest Shutout Streaks by Carleton Defense (since 1992)
679:42  --  Sept. 24-Oct. 25, 2025 (spanning 9 games)
558:30  --  Oct. 25-Nov. 22, 2025 (spanning 8 games)
535:95  --  Sept. 30-Oct. 3-24, 2009 (spanning 6 games)
521:47  --  Oct. 14-Nov. 4, 2006 (spanning (7 games)
518:24  --  Oct. 15-Nov. 1, 2014 (spanning 6 games)
492:27  --  Nov. 1-22, 2008 (spanning 7 games)
448:44  --  Aug. 31-Sept. 16, 2016 (spanning 6 games)
433:16  --  Sept. 16-Oct. 6, 2012 (spanning 5 games)