ST. PAUL, MINN. – The St. Catherine University soccer team is used to playing in high-pressure games this season. None, though, may be more high pressure than Tuesday afternoon's meeting with Bethel University. The Royals have surprised opponents this season as one of the best teams in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) and currently hold an unbeaten record in conference play.
On Tuesday, the Wildcats will try to hand Bethel its first MIAC loss of the season. It's not unfamiliar territory for St. Kate's, who last year knocked off undefeated and nationally ranked Augsburg 2-0 in the regular season. Unlike last year's game against Augsburg, the Wildcats will have to defeat the Royals on the road in hostile territory.
Kickoff between Bethel and St. Kate's is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Ona Orth Soccer Complex on Bethel's campus.
Live stats will be available for the game, and score updates will be made on St. Kate's Twitter account (@stkateswildcats).
Without further ado, here are the five facts to know before this afternoon's key MIAC match:
6 – Wildcat senior
Hannah Okerstrom (Bayport, Minn. / Stillwater) has scored six goals in the past six weeks for St. Kate's, accounting for over half of the team's scoring. Okerstrom currently leads the team in goals (10) and points (24) and ranks in the top two in both categories in the MIAC.
2nd – Bethel's Maggie Sipe is second in the MIAC in goals (9) and assists (8) and leads the league in points (26).
3-2-1 – Despite their 8-2-1 record, the Wildcats have a 3-2 record on the road and are 5-0-1 at home. Against MIAC opponents, St. Kate's is 1-1 on the road, with a win over Hamline University and a loss to Saint Ben's. In contrast, Bethel is 6-0-0 at home.
1 – Last season, the Wildcats beat the Royals 1-0 thanks to a second half goal from Gabi Scundi (Maplewood, Minn. / Hill-Murray). Scundi picked a very opportune time to score her first goal of the season. With 15 minutes remaining in regulation, Scundi scored from the weak side of the field off a pass from
Elly Leyva. That one goal proved to be enough, as
Danielle Mendez preserved the shutout with three saves off seven Bethel shots.
4th – If the season ended today, both St. Kate's and the Royals would qualify for the MIAC Playoffs. The Wildcats would qualify as the fifth seed and Bethel as the second.
