NORTHFIELD, Minn. – First-half goals from junior Bella Woog and sophomore Sadie Klassen propelled the St. Olaf College women's soccer team to a 2-1 victory over Bethel University in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) opener for both teams on Wednesday at Rolf Mellby Field.

Woog and Klassen netted their first goals of the season less than eight minutes apart in the first half to give St. Olaf (2-3-0, 1-0-0 MIAC) a 2-0 halftime lead. Bethel (1-2-0, 0-1-0 MIAC) cut its deficit in half in the 79th minute, but the Oles saw out the one-goal advantage to pick up the three points.

St. Olaf had a pair of chances to open the scoring in the opening 15 minutes, as first year Cat Duffy-Shaw set up a pair of opportunities for classmate Abbie Manhard on the right flank, but Manhard's efforts went over the net and into the side netting.

The Oles made the breakthrough in the 34th minute with first year Clara Kubis found Woog on the right side with a cross-field pass and Woog fired the ball off the underside of the crossbar and over the line for her first collegiate goal. The assist was Kubis' first-career point.

Less than eight minutes later, St. Olaf doubled its advantage on the second goal of Klassen's career, as the sophomore blocked an attempted clearance from a Bethel defender and slotted the ball into the lower-right corner of the net in the 41st minute.

Both teams had seven shots in the opening 45 minutes before St. Olaf outshot Bethel by a 9-1 margin in the second half. The Royals, however, scored on their lone shot of the half when Bella Heckmann played in Sonia Meyer on the left before Meyer cut in and scored at the near post.

Senior Grace Sprangers picked up her second win of the season with a three-save afternoon, while Kate Green suffered the loss with one save in the game for Bethel.

St. Olaf hits the road on Saturday, Sept. 17 for a 1 p.m. game at Hamline University.