On Saturday, Nov. 1, the St. Olaf Women’s Soccer team (STOWS) wrapped up its regular season with a 0-2 loss at home against St. Catherine University. This was the second loss of the season for St. Olaf, whose regular-season record was 14-2-2. Both teams were vying for the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) regular season championship title, which St. Kate’s clinched along with the No. 1 seed for playoffs, placing St. Olaf in the No. 3 seed for their first playoff game this upcoming week.
The end of the first half found both teams in a deadlock. Four minutes into the second half, Megan Timmerman ’26’s shot rebounded off the crossbar. Two minutes later, St. Kate’s scored the opening goal, and sealed their lead at the 66th minute of the game.
Despite the loss, the team showed that they were not going to be put down by the defeat. Keeping in mind the team’s three guiding pillars — passion, growth mindset, and love in action –– it was obvious that each player was fully invested in each other throughout the game. The bench was almost never silent, as there was always cheering and guidance being given from the sidelines. On the field, players often gave each other high-fives and smiles of encouragement.
Team captain Cat Duffy-Shaw ’26 explained that love in action is foundational to the team as they transition from the regular to playoff season. “[We’ve] been showing those actions in unseen ways,” Duffy-Shaw said in an interview with The Olaf Messenger. “[We’re] going the extra mile as people’s bodies get beat up, or if school is becoming a distracting factor.”
Captain Marit Klagge ’26 agreed, emphasizing the need for the pillars when faced with challenging games like the one on Saturday. “They’re a grounding thing for us,” Klagge said in an interview with The Olaf Messenger.
In addition to the pillars, the team can also fall back on the cohesive and caring team culture. “Everyone has a special role, no matter who they are,” Duffy-Shaw said. “They make the culture.”
Despite the loss on Saturday, the women’s soccer team utilized their foundational pillars to their advantage and is now gearing up to play their first MIAC playoff game against St. Mary’s University on Nov. 3.
