ST. PAUL, MINN. – The St. Catherine University soccer program could not have asked for a better start to the 2016 season. The Wildcats are 3-0 after the first three games of the season, thanks to a potent offense that scored 11 goals in the first 270 minutes of the season.
Tuesday, September 13, though marks an important day for St. Kate's. Not only is it the team's first game in 10 days, but it's also the Wildcats first conference game of the season. St. Kate's opens Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play with Carleton College for the second consecutive season, this time on its home turf.
Here are the five numbers to know before game time at 4 p.m.:
8 – Eight different players have scored goals for St. Kate's this season. Senior forward
Hannah Okerstrom (Bayport, Minn. / Stillwater) and first year
Allie Bird (Maple Grove, Minn. / Maple Grove) are the only two players who have scored multiple goals.
9 – After the first three games of the season, Okerstrom leads the team in every offensive category, including points (9), goals (3), assists (3), and shots (24). She ranks third in the conference in points as well, despite having played fewer games than her MIAC opponents.
00:02 – The time remaining on the clock when
Iryna Talkachova (Shoreview, Minn. / Shattuck-St. Mary's) scored her game winning goal against UW-River Falls. With two seconds remaining on the clock, Talkachova blasted the ball past the Falcon goalkeeper for the second game-winning goal of her career at St. Kate's.
1 – Last season, the Wildcats surrendered just one goal to Carleton in the 2015 season opener but were unable to score any of their own, losing eventually in 1-0 fashion.
6 – The Knights have played six games already this season, the most of any team in the MIAC. Like St. Kate's, Carleton played Transylvania University early in the season, with the game ending in a 0-0 tie.
Can't watch the game in person? Never fear!
Live stats will be online during the game and updates will be posted to Twitter at @stkateswildcats.
