NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Junior Claire Bash scored on a free kick in the 77th minute to lift the St. Olaf College women's soccer team to a 1-0 victory over the No. 13-ranked University of St. Thomas that secured a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Playoff spot for the Oles on Saturday afternoon at Rolf Mellby Field.

Bash's free kick from just outside the box on the left was the lone goal of the game, as St. Olaf (10-3-2, 6-2-1 MIAC) dealt St. Thomas (14-2-0, 8-1-0 MIAC) its first MIAC loss of the season. The victory was the Oles' first over the Tommies since 2006, snapping St. Thomas' 11-game (8-0-3) unbeaten run in the series.

With the win, St. Olaf sits fourth in the MIAC standings, two points behind third-place Augsburg and three behind second-place Bethel with two games to go. The Oles are two points ahead of fifth-place St. Catherine and three ahead of sixth-place Saint Benedict. The top-six teams are locked into the six spots in the upcoming MIAC Playoffs.

St. Olaf earned the free kick that led to Bash's goal when a Tommie defender misplayed a clearance near midfield and junior Mackenzie Schoustra got behind the St. Thomas defense. Goalkeeper Olivia Elvidge charged off her line to try and beat Schoustra to the ball, but took the junior down near the left corner of the box, earning a yellow card.

After a brief stoppage, Bash stepped up and curled the ball into the lower-right corner of the net for her fourth goal of the season. The strike was Bash's first game-winner of the season.

Despite being outshot by a 13-9 margin in the game, the Oles tallied six shots on goal, compared to just four for the Tommies. Sophomore Brynne Davis stopped all four shots she faced for St. Olaf to record her sixth shutout of the season and the team's seventh in 15 games.

In a game of few clear-cut scoring chances, St. Olaf nearly took the lead with 10 minutes remaining in the opening half when a Tommie defender cleared a Schoustra shot off the line after the junior got around Elvidge and shot from a sharp angle on the left.
Elvidge matched Davis with four saves in the game but fell to 8-2-0 on the season. Davis sits at 8-3-2 this year following St. Olaf's fifth-ever victory over St. Thomas, which leads the series 23-5-4.

St. Olaf travels to St. Catherine University on Wednesday, Oct. 24 for a 3:30 p.m. contest.