Bennie soccer kicks it into high gear before MIAC playoffs

The St. Ben’s soccer team defeated St. Olaf for their fifth straight win this past Saturday.

“It was a really gritty game. They were a very good team, but we were able to hold them off the whole game,” starting goalkeeper Annie Waters said via email.

Waters was faced with 19 shots on net and five saves. She gave credit to the Bennie defense, explaining that they played extremely well and were able to push through until the end. The goalkeeper is happy to be back playing for her team after an injury took her out for some of the season.

“I am proud of the way we have fought ourselves back up into third place going into our last regular season game and playoffs,” Waters said.

CSB senior soccer player Abby Willenbring agrees with Waters.

“We are now feeling more comfortable in our new formation and have been able to create more opportunities,” Willenbring said via email.

Willenbring was recently named St. Cloud Orthopedics/CSB Athletics Athlete of the Week. She started the season playing wingback but moved to the forward position after tweaks to the lineup were made. Since the switch, she has scored in all five consecutive wins for the Bennies.

She has high goals set for the upcoming MIAC tournament.

“The goal is always to win the MIAC tournament and make it to the national tournament, but we have to take it one game at a time,” Willenbring said.

Waters agrees that the team has to focus on the game at hand and play with heart.

Junior forward Alli Voss agrees that the goal for the MIAC tournament would be to win it.

“I think that now that we are at the end of the season, we have really stepped it up and kept our momentum going, and I am super proud of where our has team is at,” Voss said via email.

The players reflected on the memories the team has made this year. Willenbring and Voss both agree that the team’s trip to Wisconsin Dells was one of their favorite memories this past season.

“It was super fun to have quality time with teammates, and I think that having strong relationships off the field really portrays our chemistry on the field,” Voss says.

Willenbring adds that they even ended the Wisconsin weekend strong with a win.

Waters described her favorite team memory as hanging out at the Attic, the house where some of her senior teammates live.

“It is so fun when the whole team can get together outside of practice and games to spend time with each other because we have to cherish these memories that we are able to make in such a short time,” Waters said.

The CSB soccer team is led by head coach Steve Kimble. This season is Kimble’s 15th season with the program, and he has coached the CSB soccer team to the top-four places in the MIAC five separate times.

“Our team has played well through a tough schedule this year. We have had some injury setbacks and games that we felt like we could have won, but overall we are still looking to finish top four in the MIAC,” Kimble said via email.

He is hoping to host at least one home playoff game and is confident that the team is capable of beating anyone in the MIAC. He believes the team has a very good chance of advancing through the playoffs to a respectable finish.

This Saturday is the Bennie’s last regular season game at CSB before they participate in the MIAC tournament.