NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The No. 11-ranked St. Olaf College men's soccer team takes on UW-Eau Claire in the sectional semifinals of the 2023 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship on Friday at the University of Chicago's Stagg Field.

After advancing to the "Sweet 16" for the third-straight season with victories over UW-Superior and Carleton College at home last weekend, St. Olaf (16-3-3) returns to Chicago to face UW-Eau Claire (13-4-2) in the second game of the day on Friday, Nov. 17 at 2:30 p.m. CST. Friday's game marks the third season in a row that the Oles will compete in the "Sweet 16" at UChicago.

Tickets will be available for purchase at the entrance to Stagg Field. Ticket prices are $10 for adults, $5 for senior citizens and students (with ID), $3 for children ages 3-12, and free for children under 3. Tickets will be available for purchase one hour prior to game time and all sales are cash only. Live video and live statistics will be provided by UChicago.

Parking is available in any UChicago parking lot, including the large Ellis Avenue Parking Garage located on the corner of 55th Street and Ellis Avenue. There is an hourly fee for parking in that garage. There is also street parking available on 55th and the surrounding neighborhood.

The game between the Oles and Blugolds will follow the first sectional semifinal between No. 10-ranked Calvin University and No. 21-ranked UChicago, which will kick off at noon. The winners of the two games on Friday will meet for a spot in the national semifinals on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 2 p.m. back at Stagg Field.

In its 10th NCAA Tournament appearance, St. Olaf cruised to a 7-1 victory over UW-Superior on Saturday before edging crosstown-rival and No. 12-ranked Carleton College by a 1-0 margin on Sunday to earn its third-straight berth in the "Sweet 16." The Oles are one of five programs in the country – along with UChicago, Amherst College, SUNY Cortland, and Washington & Lee University – to be among the last 16 teams standing in each of the last three seasons. The two victories last weekend improved St. Olaf's record to 10-8-1 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and the run to the "Sweet 16" matches the deepest run in program history achieved four times (2015, 2021, 2022, 2023).

In just its third year as a program, UW-Eau Claire is back in the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row after bowing out on penalty kicks against Gustavus Adolphus College following a 1-1 second-round tie a year ago. The Blugolds earned the lone Pool B bid into the 64-team field and advanced to the sectional semifinals with a 2-1 victory over fourth-ranked North Central College and a 2-0 win over UW-Platteville in Platteville last weekend.

Friday's meeting will be the third encounter between St. Olaf and UW-Eau Claire, which have met in each of the last two regular seasons, with the Oles claiming shutout victories in both meetings. After picking up a 3-0 win over then-No. 23-ranked UW-Eau Claire on Oct. 6, 2022, the Oles grabbed a 1-0 victory in Eau Claire in a matchup of regionally-ranked teams back on Oct. 4.