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NORTHFIELD, Minn. – In a matchup of regionally-ranked teams, the St. Olaf College women’s soccer team suffered its first loss of the season with a 2-1 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) defeat to crosstown-rival Carleton College on Tuesday afternoon at a rainy Bell Field.
Carleton (6-1-0, 4-0-0 MIAC) scored twice in the first 20-plus minutes and made the lead stand up despite St. Olaf (6-1-3, 3-1-0 MIAC) pulling a goal back in the 30th minute. The Knights, who fell out of the United Soccer Coaches national poll despite winning their lone game of last week, were ranked No. 2 in this week’s United Soccer Coaches Region IX Poll, while the Oles were ranked No. 5.
The loss snapped St. Olaf’s longest unbeaten start to a season since the Oles started 8-0-2 in 2011. The last five games in the series between the two Northfield programs have either ended in ties or been one-goal wins for Carleton, which had not given up a goal in three games at Bell Field coming into the day.
Carleton scored twice in the span of less than six minutes to build a 2-0 lead early on. Lily Shure was on hand at the back post to turn in a cross by Eliza Barton in the 15th minute before Zoe Silver scored shortly after a corner kick in the 21st minute for the Knights.
St. Olaf cut its deficit in half when junior Rachel Anderson headed in a corner kick by senior Wren VanDeWalker in the 30th minute for her sixth goal of the season. VanDeWalker’s assist was her MIAC-leading seventh of the season and the 17th of her career, giving her sole possession of third in recorded program history in the category.
Carleton limited St. Olaf’s chances after Anderson’s goal, as the Oles’ lone shot on goal other than Anderon’s tally was a 59th-minute effort by senior Emily Johnson, who saw her eight-game scoring streak come to an end. Johnson started the day as NCAA Division III’s leader with 14 goals this season.
Sophomore Charlotte Percy was dealt her first loss of the season (4-1-2) despite making seven saves in the game. The Knights finished the game with a 19-7 advantage in shot and a 9-2 edge in shots on goal.
The Oles will look to get back in the win column on Saturday, Oct. 3 in a 1 p.m. kickoff against Concordia-Moorhead at Rolf Mellby Field as part of Homecoming and Family Weekend.