FARMINGTON, Minn. – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) kicked off its 2026 Women's Soccer Playoffs with a pair of quarterfinal matchups on Tuesday.
No. 3 St. Olaf defeated No. 6 Bethel, 2-0, while No. 4 Saint Benedict advanced on penalty kicks, 5-4, after a 1-1 draw in regulation and double overtime against No. 5 Macalester. The Oles and Bennies will join No. 1 Carleton and No. 2 St. Catherine in the semifinals on Thursday.
QUARTERFINAL RESULTS
FINAL | QUARTERFINAL
No. 6 Bethel 0
No. 3 St. Olaf 2
RECAP
- Rachel Anderson gave the Oles a 1-0 lead at 16:23, finishing a ball that fell to her off a cleared corner.
- Wren VanDeWalker doubled the St. Olaf lead at 58:20.
- Bethel held an 8-6 edge in shots on goal, led by Hannah Kvant's six shots (three on goal).
- St. Olaf goalkeeper Charlotte Percy made eight saves in the shutout.
NEXT: NO. 3 ST. OLAF AT NO. 2 ST. CATHERINE | THURSDAY, 2:00 PM
- St. Olaf will now match up with No. 2 St. Catherine in the semifinals on Thursday.
- The Wildcats lead the all-time playoff series with the Oles, 1-0.
- The teams previously met in the 2024 semifinals, a 3-1 St. Catherine win.
- St. Catherine won the 2026 regular season matchup with St. Olaf, 5-1, in St. Paul on 10/13.
FINAL (2OT, PK 5-4) | QUARTERFINAL
No. 5 Macalester 1
No. 4 Saint Benedict 1
RECAP
- Ava Arredondo gave Macalester a 1-0 lead at 18:46.
- Saint Benedict's Veronica Warren tied the game at 28:02.
- Neither team scored over the second half and two overtime periods.
- Saint Benedict won the penalty kick shootout, 5-4.
- Saint Benedict goalkeeper Rhianna Anya made 10 saves over 110 minutes, while Macalester's Abigail Heuga made eight stops.
NEXT: NO. 4 SAINT BENEDICT AT NO. 1 CARLETON | THURSDAY, 2:00 PM
- The Bennies will head to Northfield for a semifinal matchup against the Knights on Thursday.
- The all-time playoff series between Carleton and Saint Benedict is tied, 1-1.
- The teams last met in the postseason during the 2019 quarterfinals, a 3-2 Saint Benedict win.
- Carleton and Saint Benedict played to a 0-0 draw in the 2026 regular season matchup, in St. Joseph on 10/24.
SEMIFINAL MATCHUPS SET FOR THURSDAY
The Oles and Bennies advanced to Thursday's semifinals, where they will clash with No. 1 Carleton and No. 2 St. Catherine. The Wildcats will host No. 3 St. Olaf, while the Bennies will square off with the Knights. Both games are tentatively scheduled for 2:00 p.m. kickoffs.
No. 4 Saint Benedict at No. 1 Carleton
Thursday, Nov. 5 | 2:00 PM | Bell Field, Northfield
No. 3 St. Olaf at No. 2 St. Catherine
Thursday, Nov. 5 | 2:00 PM | Wildcat Soccer Field, St. Paul
Thursday's two semifinal winners will meet on Saturday, November 7, in the 2026 MIAC Women's Soccer Playoff championship game. The game is tentatively scheduled for 1:00 p.m. The MIAC Playoff champion will receive the postseason championship trophy and the conference's automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament.
NPI OUTLOOK
The NCAA Power Index (NPI) is used to select the 21 at-large bids to the NCAA Division III Tournament after the 43 automatic qualifiers have been determined on November 8.
The most recent NPI rankings on November 3 list two MIAC women's soccer teams among the top 40 in NCAA Division III:
The NPI cut line in 2025 was No. 37.
PLAYOFF APPAREL
Official playoff apparel is available for online purchase via the MIAC Shop powered by UNRestricted MKTG. The online MIAC Shop features officially licensed short-sleeve t-shirts, long-sleeve t-shirts, and hooded sweatshirts to commemorate the 2026 conference tournament. The items available in this store are custom-decorated. Please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery. All apparel items are online-only, custom-made, and all sales are final.
Regular season team champion apparel is available for online purchase now, with playoff team champion apparel set to be released after the conference tournament concludes.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
All tickets for the 2026 MIAC Playoffs will be sold and purchased online via HomeTown Ticketing. There will not be cash sales at any venue; however, spectators can purchase tickets using a mobile device, including while at the venue. Tickets are available for purchase immediately. General admission adult tickets are $12 (plus HTT service charge). Student (with ID) tickets are $3 (plus HTT service charge), and children ages five and under are admitted free. As a reminder, artificial noisemakers are not permitted at any MIAC events.
The 2026 MIAC Women's Soccer Playoffs will be streamed live on the MIAC Sports Network in a pay-per-view format. Individual playoff contests will be streamed for $10 each, or $25 for a "championship pass" to stream the entire tournament live. On-demand access to playoff games will be available after the NCAA Tournament concludes.
The MIAC Sports Network Help Page provides guidance and links to help fans navigate the streaming platform. Hudl Customer Support is also available by email or 24/7 chat to assist with any issues.
2026 MIAC WOMEN'S SOCCER PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
| Quarterfinals | Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026 | 2:00 PM |
| No. 3 St. Olaf 2, No. 6 Bethel 0 |
Box Score |
| No. 4 Saint Benedict 1, No. 5 Macalester 1 (2OT, PK 5-4) |
Box Score |
| Semifinals | Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026 | 2:00 PM |
| No. 4 Saint Benedict at No. 1 Carleton |
Pay-Per-View | Stats | Tickets |
| No. 3 St. Olaf at No. 2 St. Catherine |
Pay-Per-View | Stats | Tickets |
| Championship | Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026 | 1:00 PM |
| High-seed host |
Pay-Per-View |
GAME TIMES ARE TENTATIVE