MWC Tournament Page

GALESBURG, Ill. – The Grinnell College women's soccer team has been a regular qualifier for the Midwest Conference Tournament, and this year is more of the same.
 
The Pioneers are appearing in the four-team event at Knox College for the third year in a row and seventh time in the last eight seasons. Grinnell is the second seed after going 7-2 in the MWC and 9-6-1 overall. Their foe is third-seeded St. Norbert College, 6-2-1 in league play and 7-10-1 overall. Kickoff is 2 p.m. Friday.
 
The Pioneers will be looking for revenge as they lost a 2-1 decision at St. Norbert on Oct. 14. Grinnell led that contest 1-0 after Jordan Maddaus '19 scored in the 19th minute. The Pioneers were within 12 minutes of sewing up the shutout before St. Norbert got goals in the 78th and 84th minutes to pull out the win.
 
Grinnell's defense has been particularly stellar, giving up an average of 1.06 goals a game which ranks second in the league. The Pioneers have five shutouts this year and keeper Elizabeth Hunt '21 has an .802 saves percentage.
 
Maddaus ranks fifth in the conference in points per game with 1.50 and sixth in goals with nine. Valencia Alvarez '20 is 10th in points per game at 1.00 while she and Maddaus are tied for fifth in assists with six.
 
St. Norbert's Madalyn Sanderfoot is sixth in the league in points per game with 1.40, Hanna Lech is ninth with 1.06 and Dana Schwag 10th at 1.00. Sanderfoot is fifth in goals with 10, while Lech leads the MWC in assists with nine and Monica Stephans is second with seven.
 
The winner meets either Knox College or Ripon College at 2 p.m. Saturday in the title match. The champion earns the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III National Tournament.