NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The regionally-ranked St. Olaf College men's soccer team used an early four-goal flurry to cruise to a 6-0 victory over Saint Mary's University (Minn.) in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play on Tuesday at Rolf Mellby Field.

Junior Casey McCloskey scored two of the four early goals for St. Olaf (9-4-0, 6-1-0 MIAC), with the four goals coming in the first 13:07 of the contest. Sophomore Shea Bechtel had three assists in the opening 12 minutes for the Oles, who picked up their 16th-straight win in the series with Saint Mary's (3-7-3, 0-5-1 MIAC) and their ninth-straight home win dating back to last season.

The six-goal win marked the joint-largest margin of victory in the series for St. Olaf since 1987 and temporarily put the Oles atop the MIAC standings ahead of tonight's game between No. 8 Gustavus Adolphus College and Augsburg University. St. Olaf rose three spots to No. 4 in Region IX in today's United Soccer Coaches regional poll.

Junior Victor Gaulmin posted his second-straight four-point game and his fifth multi-point outing in his last six games with a goal and two assists in the opening half hour. First years Robi Buzakovic and Caspar Olseth, as well as senior Lance Halberg, also added goals in the win.

Just over four minutes into the game, McCloskey got the early goal spree started by tapping the ball home off a cross from classmate Jordan Oberholtzer who was picked out on the right side by Bechtel. A little over three minutes later, Bechtel picked out Gaulmin's run in behind the Saint Mary's back line and Gaulmin took care of the rest to make it 2-0 inside the opening eight minutes.

McCloskey – the reigning MIAC Offensive Player of the Week – got his second of the game just over four minutes later, pouncing on a rebound off a Bechtel shot to give him four goals and three assists in the Oles' last three games. McCloskey has at least one point in six-straight games.

Buzakovic capped the four-goal flurry in the 14th minute by firing the ball home from outside the box for his third goal of the season. Olseth finished off a five-goal first half for St. Olaf in the 30th minute by turning the ball in off a cross from Gaulmin on the right.

Halberg scored the lone goal of the second half, as his free kick from the right wing in the 59th minute went all the way through traffic and in. St. Olaf outshot Saint Mary's by a 30-4 margin in the game, including 21-2 in the opening 45 minutes.

Junior Austin Williams and sophomore Peter Forseth combined for the shutout in goal for the Oles, with Williams picking up his seventh win by making two stops in the first half. Forseth did not have a save to make in the second half, as St. Olaf held Saint Mary's without a shot on goal after the 14th minute.

The Oles head to St. Peter on Saturday, Oct. 15 for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff against the nationally-ranked Gusties in what will be St. Olaf's third game against a top-10 team this season.