Benedictine Women's Soccer opens postseason play Tuesday night as the No. 4-seeded Ravens host No. 5 MidAmerica Nazarene University in the Quarterfinal round of the 2026 Heart of America Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Championship.

First whistle is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Benedictine's Legacy Field. The match is available on BRSN through the Urban Edge Network at https://www.urbanedgenetwork.net/school/benedictine-college. The direct link will posted on ravenathletics.com once it is made available. 

The Ravens enter the tournament with a 13-2-3 overall record and a 9-2-3 mark in Heart play. MNU comes into the match up at 12-3-3 overall and 9-3-2 in conference action.

FIRST TIME AROUND
Tuesday is a rematch from a Sept. 16 match on Benedictine's Legacy Field, where the Ravens earned a 2-1 victory over the Pioneers.

The loss was the first of the season for MNU, while it was Benedictine's first win in Heart play at home. MNU scored first during the 63rd minute on an unassisted goal from Maria Stumpf. The Ravens responded with goals in the 68th minute from Patsy O'Brien from Jenna Wilken and the 86th minute on an unassisted goal from Brynn Carroll that proved to be the game-winner.

ABOUT BENEDICTINE
The Ravens enter postseason play with one of the Heart's most productive offenses, averaging 3 goals and 18.2 shots per match.

Benedictine's offensive attack is led by Payton Vogelbacher, who has scored a team-high 14 goals and added 3 assists for 31 points. She has registered 70 shots, including 41 on goal, and leads the Ravens with 5 game-winning goals.

Jenna Wilken has provided another scoring option with 8 goals and 7 assists for 23 points. Wilken is tied for the team lead in assists and has three game-winning goals.

Maura Maher has added nine goals and two assists for 20 points. Her .281 shooting percentage ranks among the best of Benedictine's primary offensive contributors.

Brynn Carroll has 5 goals and four assists for 14 points, while Rowan Yows has contributed three goals and four assists.

Benedictine's defensive performance has been equally important. The Ravens have allowed just 11 goals in 18 matches while limiting opponents to 108 shots, an average of six per game.

Emma Smith has also appeared in nine matches, allowing seven goals in 810 minutes. Smith has a 0.78 goals-against average, a .825 save percentage and three shutouts.

The Ravens enter Tuesday's match up having allowed one goal or fewer in 15 of their 18 matches.

ABOUT MNU
The Pioneers have scored 50 goals in 18 matches while holding opponents to just 11.

Tindra Jarl leads MNU with 16 goals and 6 assists for 38 points.

Jarl has scored 7 game-winning goals and converted 16 of her 62 shots into goals. She has placed 43 shots on goal, giving her a .694 shots-on-goal percentage.

Maria Stumpf has added 7 goals and a team-high 9 assists for 23 points.

Raquel Fernandez has contributed 4 goals and 8 assists for 16 points, while Maddie Lalman has 5 goals and 4 assists for 14 points.

MNU has recorded nine shutouts this season. Goalkeeper Fiona Popetschnig has played 1,260 minutes across 15 appearances, allowing 10 goals for a 0.71 goals-against average. She has recorded 43 saves with a .811 save percentage.

PLAYER MATCHUP TO WATCH
Tuesday's Quarterfinal features two of the Heart most dangerous offensive players.

Benedictine's Payton Vogelbacher and MNU's Tindra Jarl have combined for 30 goals and 69 points this season.

Vogelbacher has 14 goals, 3 assists and 5 game-winning goals, while Jarl has 16 goals, 6 assists and 7 game-winning goals.

Both players have been efficient at creating scoring opportunities. Vogelbacher has put 41 of her 70 shots on goal, while Jarl has placed 43 of 62 attempts on frame.

The ability of each team's defense to limit scoring opportunities for the opposing leading scorer could be a deciding factor Tuesday.

KEYS TO THE MATCH
Control possession and create quality chances: Benedictine and MNU have nearly identical shot totals this season, but the Ravens hold an advantage in shot conversion, scoring on 16.5 percent of their attempts compared to 15.3 percent for the Pioneers.

Capitalize on set-piece opportunities: Benedictine has earned 130 corner kicks compared to 106 for MNU. The Ravens' ability to create additional attacking opportunities from corners could prove important against a defense that has allowed only 11 goals.

Limit the Pioneers' offensive combinations: Jarl is MNU's leading goal scorer, but Stumpf and Fernandez have combined for 17 assists. Benedictine will need to limit the service and passing combinations that generate scoring opportunities for the Pioneers.

Finish scoring opportunities: Both teams average 18.2 shots per match and have allowed only 11 goals all season. Converting chances against organized defensive units will be critical.

Maintain second-half intensity: Both Benedictine and MNU have scored 32 second-half goals this season. With each offense demonstrating an ability to produce after halftime, the final 45 minutes could determine which team advances.

HEART TOURNAMENT PICTURE
The Heart Tournament features eight teams competing for the conference championship.

Tuesday's quarterfinal match ups are:

• No. 1 Clarke vs. No. 8 Park – Dubuque, Iowa
• No. 4 Benedictine vs. No. 5 MidAmerica Nazarene
• No. 3 Graceland vs. No. 6 Culver-Stockton – Lamoni, Iowa
• No. 2 Central Methodist vs. No. 7 Missouri Valley – Fayette, Mo. 

Quarterfinal winners advance to the Semifinals on Friday, Nov. 6, with the Championship Match scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 10.

Tuesday's winner takes on the winner of the Clarke-Park match in the Semifinals at the location of the higher seeded team in the matchup.