CHICAGO, Ill. – The No. 11-ranked St. Olaf College men's soccer team advanced to the national semifinals for the first time in program history with a 2-1 win over the No. 21-ranked University of Chicago in the sectional final on Saturday afternoon at Stagg Field.

UChicago (11-3-6), the defending national champions, took a 1-0 halftime lead on a 32nd-minute goal by Jadyn Hsieh-Bailey before St. Olaf (18-3-3) pulled level on a free kick by senior Victor Gaulmin in the 62nd minute. With time winding down in regulation, senior Hakeem Morgan sent the Oles into the "Final Four" by heading in a long throw-in by first year Ryan Bechtel in the 88th minute.

The victory was St. Olaf's first-ever win over UChicago, which was 3-0-1 in the prior four meetings between the two programs, including picking up a 4-2 win when the two teams met in the season opener back on Sept. 1 at Rolf Mellby Field. The win also extended the Oles' program-record unbeaten streak to 20 games (17-0-3) and made the team juts the second-ever St. Olaf team to advance to the national semifinals in a 64-team, bracket-style NCAA Championship (volleyball – 1996).

Both teams had chances to open the scoring in the first 20 minutes but were unable to capitalize. UChicago had the first opportunity in the 12th minute when a giveaway at the back by St. Olaf gave Kai Walsh a good look at goal, but his shot was straight at junior Peter Forseth. Five minutes later, Morgan found Gaulmin, who took a touch around a UChicago defender on the left side of the box, but Will Boyes got a piece of Gaulmin's effort to get the ball out for a corner.

The Maroons eventually found the opening goal in the 32nd minute when Hsieh Bailey found space and sent a long-range strike into the top-right corner past a leaping Forseth for his third goal of the season. The hosts nearly doubled their lead before the break when Alex Gomas got in on the right side but saw his right-footed shot dribble wide of the far post off a deflection. Senior Liam Vance had the final chance of the half for St. Olaf but hooked a shot over the goal on the back post after a long throw-in by Bechtel.

Early in the second half, the Oles nearly fell in a 2-0 hole, but sophomore Caspar Olseth got a crucial block in to block a UChicago shot after a turnover at the back. In the 62nd minute, St. Olaf earned a free kick just under 30 yards from goal and Gaulmin curled the ball over the wall and inside the left post for his 16th goal of the season. The goal gave Gaulmin sole possession of second on St. Olaf's single-season goal list, breaking a tie with Jens Undlin (2014) and Morgan (2021), who both had 15-goal seasons.

Senior Jordan Oberholtzer had two chances to give the Oles the lead after Gaulmin's equalizer, but Boyes denied Oberholtzer with his legs after Oberholtzer got in behind in the 66th minute and a Maroons' defender got a piece of his curling effort from the top of the box to divert the ball out for a corner in the 84th minute.

Despite UChicago having most of the possession after Gaulmin's goal, St. Olaf found the game-winning goal in the 88th minute when Morgan rose the highest to head in Bechtel's long throw-in from in front of the goalkeeper for his ninth goal of the season. The goal broke a 12-game scoreless drought for Morgan dating back to Sept. 23 and was the Oles' sixth goal (all of the team's goals) from a set piece on the weekend.

Gaulmin's goal also brought his career point total to 95, just one shy of the record of 98 set by John Zietlow '11, and was the 36th of his career, one shy of the record of 37 held by Kevin Skrip '16. St. Olaf's victory snapped UChicago's 24-game (22-0-2) unbeaten run at home that dated back to Oct. 15, 2021 and came on the field where the Oles saw their seasons end in the "Sweet 16" in each of the last two seasons.

St. Olaf will play either Connecticut College or Washington College in the national semifinals at 2 p.m. CST on Friday, Dec. 1 at Kerr Stadium in Salem, Va. The Camels and Shoremen will play their sectional final at noon CST on Sunday, Nov. 19.