NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The No. 20-ranked Carleton College women's soccer team captured the outright MIAC regular-season title with a 4-2 Senior Day victory over visiting Gustavus Adolphus College.
The Knights (12-1-2, 10-0-1 MIAC) entered the day having already secured at least a share of the conference crown but were able to ensure sole possession of first place with this result. Carleton has earned at least a share of the MIAC regular-season championship four times in the last five seasons and seven times overall.
This is the 21st time since 1988 that a MIAC women's soccer team has gone undefeated in conference play but only the fifth time that a team has done so with a 10-0-1 ledger (see chart below).
Prior to the contest, the Knights honored the nine seniors on the roster:
Lauren Caldwell,
Isabelle Connolly,
Lola Feurer,
Zaraya Jordan,
Maya Lacey,
Lily Shure,
Avery Trapp,
Hadley Twichell, and
Natessa Wright.
The four goals were all scored by the senior class. Twichell tallied her second brace of the season and the fourth multi-goal effort of her career. Shure and Feurer also found the back of the net, while Shure and Connolly notched helpers.
Carleton totaled a whopping 38 shots in the contest, the fourth-highest single-game total in recorded team history.
Twichell opened the scoring in the 28th minute, volleying home a deflected cross from Shure. Carleton doubled the margin in the 48th minute when Feurer notched her fifth goal of the season by pouncing on a rebound off Connolly's header.
Just as it seemed that Carleton was seizing control of the match, the Knights surrendered a pair of set piece goals only 61 seconds apart. Katie Thomas and Brayleigh Sumner scored from close range for Gustavus Adolphus (4-9-5, 3-6-2 MIAC) in the 50
th and 51
st minutes. Entering the day, Carleton had surrendered only one goal in conference play.
The Knights showed their composure, re-grouped, and regained the lead in the 70th minute.
Madison Ketchum uncorked a 24-yard rocket that required a diving stop by Gusties' goalkeeper Katelyn Olson, but Shure was right there to knock home the rebound for her fifth goal of the campaign.
The Knights added an 82nd-minute insurance goal.
Zoe Silver played a cross to the PK spot, where Twichell took a touch before tucking a cross-body shot inside the left post for her 21st career goal, tying her for 10th-highest in recorded team history (see chart below).
Since the four-year seniors began their careers in 2023, the Knights are 60-9-14 (.807) overall and 36-1-7 (.898) in MIAC play.
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton is set to host the MIAC Playoffs semifinals at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5. The opponent will be determined by the results of Tuesday's quarterfinal matches.
Most Career Goals in Carleton Women's Soccer
1. 40 – Birungi Mutebi – 1998-01
2. 38 – Jennie Rehm – 1982-85
3. 33 –
Kathryn Kresse – 2022-25
4. 30 – Niki Tomita – 2008-11
5. 26 – Nora Mertz – 2016-19
6. 25 – Rose Koch – 1996-99
7. 23 – M. Russell-Dempsey – 1998-01
7. 23 – Cate Patterson – 2019-2023
9. 22 – Ellie Wilson – 2011-14
10. 21 – Nicky Bloom – 2005-08
10. 21 – Hadley Twichell – 2022-26
MIAC Women's Soccer Teams to Go Undefeated (since 1988)
Saint Mary's (8-0-0) — 1988
Gustavus (10-0-0) — 1993
Gustavus (10-0-0) — 1994
Macalester (10-0-0) — 1997
Macalester (9-0-0) — 1998
Macalester (10-0-0) — 1999
Macalester (9-0-1) — 2000
St. Thomas (9-0-2) — 2002
Saint Benedict (9-0-2) — 2002
Macalester (8-0-3) — 2002
Saint Benedict (9-0-2) — 2003
Macalester (10-0-1) — 2004
Macalester (10-0-1) — 2005
St. Thomas (9-0-2) — 2008
Concordia (10-0-1) — 2009
St. Thomas (10-0-1) — 2016
Carleton (8-0-3) — 2022
Carleton (9-0-2) — 2023
Carleton (8-0-3) — 2024
St. Catherine (8-0-3) — 2024
Carleton (10-0-1) — 2026
