FARMINGTON, Minn. – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Women's Soccer Playoffs continued on Thursday with two semifinal contests.
No. 1 Carleton defeated No. 4 Saint Benedict, 2-1, while No. 2 St. Catherine defeated No. 3 St. Olaf, 1-0. The Knights and Wildcats will now square off in the MIAC Women's Soccer Playoff Championship for the fourth time in the last five seasons. Carleton will host at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday in Northfield.
SEMIFINAL RESULTS
FINAL | SEMIFINAL
No. 4 Saint Benedict 1
No. 1 Carleton 2
RECAP
- Isabelle Connolly gave Carleton a 1-0 lead at 13:19, assisted by Lily Shure.
- Hadley Twichell doubled the Knights' lead at 33:17.
- Saint Benedict's Gabby Fernholz cut the deficit to 2-1 at 43:39.
- Neither team scored in the second half.
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME HISTORY
- The Knights have won three MIAC Playoff championships (2008, 2009, 2025) and are the reigning champions.
- Saturday will be Carleton's second consecutive appearance in the championship game, and the Knights' fourth trip in the last five seasons.
FINAL | SEMIFINAL
No. 3 St. Olaf 0
No. 2 St. Catherine 1
RECAP
- Bella Meier scored the game's lone goal at 4:47, assisted by Ari Douvier.
- St. Catherine goalkeeper Brianna Valdez made seven saves in the shutout.
- St. Olaf goalkeeper Charlotte Percy made eight saves.
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME HISTORY
- The Wildcats have won five MIAC Playoff championships (2017, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024).
- St. Catherine is playing in the championship game for the sixth consecutive playoff tournament.
CHAMPIONSHIP SET FOR SATURDAY
The Knights and Wildcats advanced to Saturday's championship game, where Carleton will host St. Catherine. The game is tentatively scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff.
No. 2 St. Catherine at No. 1 Carleton
Saturday, Nov. 7 | 1:00 PM | Bell Field, Northfield
- The Wildcats lead the all-time playoff series with the Knights, 2-1.
- All three previous playoff meetings came in the championship game, with St. Catherine winning in 2022 and 2023 and Carleton winning in 2025. Each of those games was decided by a 1-0 score.
- Saturday will mark the fourth time in five seasons that the teams have met for the MIAC Playoff title.
- Carleton won the 2026 regular season matchup with St. Catherine, 2-0, in Northfield on 9/19.
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 4 list three MIAC women's soccer teams among the top 50 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.
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. 1 Carleton 2, No. 4 Saint Benedict 1 |
Box Score |
| No. 2 St. Catherine 1, No. 3 St. Olaf 0 |
Box Score |
| Championship | Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026 | 1:00 PM |
| No. 2 St. Catherine at No. 1 Carleton |
Pay-Per-View | Stats | Tickets |
GAME TIMES ARE TENTATIVE