The St. Olaf Women’s Soccer team has been on a roll since they stepped onto the field in early August. After seven games played, their record currently stands at 5-1-1, with their only loss being against John Hopkins University, who are ranked fifth nationally. Their singular tie comes from their most recent match against cross-town rivals Carleton College, with a goal by junior Emily Johnson ’27. Johnson is the team’s top scorer, having put away eight goals this season. St. Olaf currently leads the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) in shots taken with a whopping 132 shots in just seven games, showing their opponents that they’re not here to mess around.
Senior captain Marit Klagge ’26 shared what have been the most impactful principles for their team. Referred to as STOWS (St. Olaf Women’s Soccer), the team has three pillars that guide them through their entire season, the first being passion. Every player – either on the field or cheering from the bench–has a deep love for the game and unmatched dedication to their team. This is easily seen through the intensity with which they perform in every match.
Their second pillar is a growth mindset. STOWS believes that every setback is a chance for growth, as they demonstrated after their match against Johns Hopkins when, only three days after a 3-0 loss, they put three in the back of the net for a shutout win against Wartburg College.
“Love in Action” is their third pillar, which Klagge explained to be supporting your teammates on and off the field, cultivating a culture of love and support among all the players. During pre-season, each player wrote out what they envisioned as a representation of Passion, Growth Mindset, and Love in Action on sticky notes. Before each game, the team selects a sticky note for each pillar and reads it out loud. This practice keeps them grounded in their goals and focused on what they consider to be most important.
In addition to their pillars, this year’s team has a strong sense of mission. With a large number of seniors making up the roster, these players want this season to be the best they’ve ever had.
When asked how this season’s team compares to previous years, Klagge said the team has “we have a really strong sense of what we can do as a team. We have all the tools we need to be really successful. We have a great team culture; technically, our skills are, like, really good. We have great ball movement, our ideas are there. It’s just that last piece, the belief that we can do it, is really present this year.”
Last season, STOWS set a record of 14 wins in a season, a feat that hasn’t been achieved since 2010. Klagge shared that she has full confidence in this team’s ability to break that record, and she looks forward to continuing with the same drive in their upcoming games. Until then, she asks that fans keep showing up to Rolf Mellby Field to cheer on our STOWS.
