Macalester vs. Carleton statistics |
MIAC championship website | video clips from the match:
first half chance for Emily Bardwell |
CC's keeper makes a save |
Bardwell second half shot
Fourth-seeded Carleton beat No. 3-seed Macalester 3-0 Saturday night in St. Paul to win the MIAC playoff championship and advance to the NCAA Division III playoffs, which get underway next week. The Scots, who had won six of their previous seven games and four straight by shutout, will wait to see if their 13-5-2 record is good enough to get into nationals.
If not, then head coach John Leaney has coached his final match in his brilliant college coaching career. Leaney won 17 MIAC championships as men’s and women’s head coach at Macalester. Leaney, who is retiring from coaching, was saluted with a long ovation by a large Macalester crowd following the game.
Carleton star forward Niki Tomita scored all three goals for the Knights, two in the first half within a decisive 3:24 stretch, and one more late in the second half. The Knights move into the NCAA’s with a 10-5-5 record and become the first No. 4 seed to win the league playoffs. They gain their first win at Macalester Stadium since 1984.
The game was played just hours after Mac and Carleton also met for the men’s soccer playoff title, with the Scots knocking off Carleton 1-0 in that one to move on to nationals.
The Knights had a 5-2 lead in shots on goal, but Macalester had all six of the game’s corner kicks.
Lauryn Gutierrez goes up for a header vs. Carleton. (Christopher Mitchell / Sport Shot Photo)