NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Sophomore
Marit Klagge scored her first collegiate goal to send the St. Olaf College women's soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Saint Mary's University in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) action on Tuesday afternoon at Rolf Mellby Field.
Klagge found the back of the net just over 13 minutes into the game off an assist from sophomore
Rachael Wilson and St. Olaf (5-4-3, 3-2-2 MIAC) made the goal stand up to by shutting out Saint Mary's (7-6-1, 2-5-0 MIAC). The two teams entered the game separated by just two points in a congested middle of the MIAC standings.
The victory moved the Oles into fourth place in the standings with 11 points and was St. Olaf's seventh win in the last eight games in the series (7-1-0) with the Cardinals. Ten of the Oles' 12 games this season have bene decided by one goal or ended in a tie, including back-to-back 1-0 wins in their last two contests.
Defensively, St. Olaf picked up its fourth shutout in the last six games by limiting Saint Mary's to seven shots and four shots on goal in the game. The Oles have yielded just two goals over that six-game stretch. Senior
Maddie Black recorded her fifth shutout of the season by stopping all four shots on goal the visitors mustered.
Wilson and Klagge connected for the decisive moment in the 14th minute for St. Olaf, as Wilson won the ball, drove into the attacking third, and sent the ball into the box for Klagge, who turned and steered the ball past Saint Mary's goalkeeper McKenzie Munson with the outside of her right foot. Wilson earned the first point of her collegiate career with the assist, as both sophomores were appearing in the 27th game of their respective careers.
Munson was saddled with the loss despite stopping four of the five shots she faced over the first 55:32 before giving way to Anna Peckosh for the final 34:28. St. Olaf enjoyed 64 percent possession over the course of the game and outshot Saint Mary's by a 16-7 margin overall.
The Oles play three of their final four regular-season games on the road, beginning with a trip to Augsburg University for an 8 p.m. start on Saturday, Oct. 14.
