MINNEAPOLIS -- A goal in the 12th minute was the only marker the No. 5-seed St. Catherine University needed, as the Wildcats topped Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular-season titlist Augsburg University 1-0 in a conference playoff semifinal game on Wednesday evening at Edor Nelson Field.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: St. Catherine 1, Augsburg 0
LOCATION: Edor Nelson Field, Minneapolis
RECORDS: Augsburg 12-4-2 overall, St. Catherine 8-6-4 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Wildcats kept pace with the Auggies throughout the game and held possession much of the time, limiting the hosts to just seven shots on-goal in the game. However, the Auggies did have several solid chances to score. A penalty kick attempt was missed in the 42nd minute, and shots by Gabriela Encarnacion (SO, Bel Air, Md./Bel Air HS) hit the goalpost in the 76th minute and hit the crossbar in the final minute of play. A rebound from the crossbar by Ciara Gregory (SO, Cottage Grove, Minn./Park HS) was then saved at nearly point-blank range.
• Ashley St. Aubin (SO, Burnsville, Minn./Burnsville HS) had five shots in the game, while Gregory had three shots and Encarnacion had two. Augsburg outshot St. Catherine by an 18-14 margin in the contest.
• For the 11th time this season, Augsburg split its goalkeepers in the game, with Emily Chapman (SO, Elburn, Ill./Kaneland HS) recording three saves in the first half, and Marissa Guillou (SR, Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley HS) recording five saves in the second half.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
• With the loss, Augsburg's hopes of continuing in the postseason now fall into the hands of the NCAA Division III national committee, which will announce bids for the national tournament on Monday (11/6) at 12 p.m. Central time on an NCAA.com webcast. Augsburg will be in the hunt for one of 20 "Pool C" at-large bids to the 64-team tournament. In the most recent NCAA North Region rankings released on Wednesday, Augsburg is the No. 6 seed in the region, while MIAC regular-season runner-up St. Thomas is seeded No. 4.
• The game marked the final appearance at Edor Nelson Field for four Augsburg seniors -- Guillou, Abby Enrici (SR, Huntley, Ill./Huntley HS), Lauren Jennings (SR, Rochester, Minn./Lourdes HS) and Rayni Pemble (SR, Anoka, Minn./Anoka HS). Together, the senior class combined to win two MIAC regular-season titles and two MIAC postseason playoff titles, while appearing in two NCAA Division III national tournaments. The senior class has a 61-20-2 career record, the most wins by a four-year class in Augsburg women's soccer history. 

FOR THE FOES
• With the win, No. 5-seed St. Catherine advances to the MIAC playoff championship game, where it will host No. 6-seed Gustavus on Saturday (11/4) at 1 p.m. The winner will receive the MIAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III national tournament.
• Allie Bird scored the lone goal of the game at the 11:02 mark, taking a cross from Rachael Holm and blasting a goal from 20 yards out on the right side.
• Jessica Perez-Adame had seven saves in goal to pick up the shutout win for St. Catherine.

QUOTES FROM AUGSBURG HEAD COACH MIKE NAVARRE
• "First, congratulations to St. Catherine. What they did is impressive -- to play overtime yesterday on the road and then come in and defeat us on our field is a great accomplishment. Their program has been through a lot in the past year, so for the players and coaches to stick together and earn the right to host the MIAC playoff championship game is credit to their team."
• "As for the game, we created some great chances and were close multiple times, but ultimately just didn't get the job done. As for the season, I am extremely proud of what we accomplished. To be MIAC regular-season champions, with such a young team, was impressive and something I will always cherish."
• "Finally, although we are ranked No. 6 in the region, it is unlikely that we will earn an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. Therefore, our season and the Augsburg careers of four great players has likely come to an end. Abby, Marissa, Lauren and Rayni won 4 championships in their career (two MIAC regular-season and two playoff titles) and two NCAA tournament games. The impact they've had on our program in phenomenal. I am honored to be their coach and have no doubt that they will continue to flourish in life. They leave a great legacy, one that will surely help us continue our ascension as a program."