GRINNELL, Iowa – A successful run through league play for the Grinnell College women's soccer team culminated Saturday with the ultimate prize – a Midwest Conference title.
 
The Pioneers secured the championship with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Lake Forest College, which entered the contest perfect in MWC play and unscored upon. The Senior Day win at Springer Field gave Grinnell a 7-0-1 mark in the league and its first solo MWC title since 2006 (Grinnell was co-champs in 2011).
 
With the title comes hosting rights for next weekend's league tournament, also a first for Grinnell since 2006. That same year was also the last time the Pioneers went through MWC play without a loss until 2022.
 
Coach Kirsten Koester's crew enjoyed Senior Day festivities prior to the game and entered the contest enthusiastic and loose. It showed as Grinnell stuck right with the Foresters while also earning numerous scoring chances.
 
After a scoreless first half, Tori Thomas '25 scored the only goal Grinnell would need eight minutes into the second stanza. It marked the team-high fourth goal of the season for Thomas.
 
Keiko Smith '25 began the scoring play with the ball on the right side and whipped a pass into Thomas at the top of the box. After the ball was deflected, Thomas regained control, pushed her way forward into the box past a defender and slipped a shot into the bottom left corner of the net. That sent Grinnell into celebration as the first MWC squad to dent the scoreboard against the Foresters.
 
Elinor Arneson '23 was equally dazzling as Grinnell's keeper, turning away four shots while posting her seventh shutout of the season and eighth in her career. Arneson's career shutout total ranks seventh in Grinnell history.
 
Grinnell has lost only once in its last 13 games while improving to 10-2-4, reaching double-digit victories for the first time since 2017. Lake Forest dipped to 7-1 in the league and 11-4-3 overall.
 
Lake Forest won the shots battle 13-10, with Jane March '24 taking three shots for Grinnell, Giada Bambi '25 firing off two and Smith, Gia Sundaram '25, Jill Paladino '23, Thomas and Tali Berk '24 getting one apiece.

Grinnell is the top seed in next Friday's semifinal round and will play the fourth seed, Cornell College. No. 2 seed Lake Forest College will battle No. 3 seed Beloit College in Friday's other semifinal.