NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Carleton College women's soccer team advanced to the MIAC Playoffs Championship after beating crosstown rival St. Olaf College in the semifinals.
Lola Feurer scored the game-winning goal with 33 seconds remaining in overtime as the Knights triumphed 1-0.
Postgame, Carleton head coach
Jessica Mueller said "I'm so proud of this group. Today was a decisive, solid team performance against a very talented and well-coached St. Olaf team. We continue to improve and raise our standard every day in training. We're happy with the result today and have already begun preparation for Saturday. Go Knights!"
Carleton (15-2-2, 9-1-1 MIAC) started as the stronger side, keeping the ball almost entirely in St. Olaf's half for the first ten minutes. The Knights energetic press enabled them to dominate possession. Feuer nearly opened the scoring in the 13th minute. She turned away from her defender at the top of the box and ripped a shot that cannoned off the crossbar. In the 27th minute the Knights again clanged a shot off the woodwork, this time it was
Sam Gotch, who nearly tallied her second Olimpico goal of the season.
The Oles (15-3-2, 8-1-2 MIAC) began to find their way into the game as the half wore on. In the 27th minute, a St. Olaf goal kick found striker Emily Johnson, who nearly found the top corner with a look from outside of the box but the attempt sailed wide right.
The Knights began the second half as they did the first, pressing the visitors high up the field. This press nearly paid off in the 52nd minute, when
Claire Burbery dispossessed a St. Olaf player high up the field before taking an attempt on the edge of the 18-yard box that was saved by St. Olaf's 'keeper, Charlotte Percy.
In the 89th minute, St. Olaf was inches away from securing a spot in the next round. Johnson jumped on a failed clearance, cut across the top of the box, and unleashed a shot which took a major deflection off a defender. The ball spun away from Carleton goalie
Avery Trapp and seemed destined to find the right side of the goal. Instead, the ball struck the right post and stayed out, allowing the Knights to recover.
Through 90 minutes, Carleton and St. Olaf could not be separated, so the semi-final continued into extra time. Carleton nearly found the goal in the first minute of extra time.
Hadley Twichell and Feurer combined on the right-hand side of St. Olaf's area, and Feurer slalomed to the 6-yard box. The junior saw her close-range try saved by Percy on a dive.
Finally, in the 100th minute of the game, with seconds to go in the overtime period, the Knights won themselves a corner after Feurer had a bid for the game-winning goal denied by yet another sprawling save by Percy. Burbery's delivery on the corner kick was initially headed away, but fell to
Zaraya Jordan. Jordan stepped up to the edge of the 18-yard box and sent the ball in hard on the ground. A deflection by
Ashlyn Haigh sent the ball over to Feurer, whose right-footed shot found the bottom left corner, sending the Knights to the finals.
Carleton outshot St. Olaf 25-9 overall and 7-0 in overtime. Trapp made two saves in the match for her ninth clean sheet of the campaign. Percy made four total stops. Feurer was Carleton's offensive engine all match, taking seven shots (four on goal), more than any other Knight in a match this year.
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton heads to No. 24-ranked St. Catherine University on Saturday, Nov. 8th, with the MIAC Playoffs title on the line. Kickoff in St. Paul, Minn., is slated for 1:00 p.m. The winner of that game will secure the MIAC's automatic berth in the upcoming NCAA Championships.
