NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The top-seeded and No. 11-ranked St. Olaf College men's soccer team won its second-straight Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Playoff title by winning the shootout by a 4-3 margin over third-seeded Gustavus Adolphus College on Saturday afternoon at Rolf Mellby Field.

After the teams traded goals just over a minute apart in the first half, the game remained tied for the next nearly 90 minutes, as St. Olaf (14-3-3) and Gustavus (10-3-7) went to a shootout even at 1-1. In the shootout, the Oles converted all four of their attempts, while the Gusties had their fourth attempt saved by junior Peter Forseth and fired their fifth attempt over the cross bar.

With the shootout win, St. Olaf won the MIAC Playoffs for the fourth time in program history (2011, 2015, 2022, 2023) and earned the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. The Oles will find out where and who they will play in their 10th NCAA Tournament appearance (1984, 1992, 1998, 1999, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023) during the NCAA Selection Show on NCAA.com on Monday, Nov. 6 at 1 p.m. Central. The game officially counts as a tie, but the tie extended St. Olaf's unbeaten streak to 16 games (13-0-3), which is tied for the longest streak in program history.



After scoring both goals in St. Olaf's 2-1 win in St. Peter in the championship game last season, sophomore Robi Buzakovic gave the Oles a 1-0 lead midway through the first half with just his second goal of the season. Junior Shea Bechtel lofted a cross from the right to senior Casey McCloskey, who laid the ball off for Buzakovic to fire a left-footed shot into the lower-left corner of the net.

The Gusties responded just 1:13 later, however, when Diego Paulin sent a right-footed shot from outside the box into the left side of the goal for his second goal of the season. The Oles held a 9-3 advantage in shots in an opening half that saw both teams generated just two shots on goal.

Both teams had chances to win the game late in the second half, with the first such opportunity falling to Gustavus' Owen Johnson in the 79th minute. Johnson got in behind the St. Olaf back line on the right side of the box but could not slide his left-footed shot past an onrushing Forseth, who kept the game tied with the save.

In the 84th minute, senior Hakeem Morgan had a chance to put the Oles on top, but Gustavus goalkeeper Wes Sanders got down to keep out Morgan's right-footed shot off a driven cross from first year Ryan Bechtel. With under two minutes remaining in regulation, Forseth was again called into action when Jared Hecht directed a header straight at Forseth from around the penalty spot.

Hecht had two more opportunities early in the first 10-minute overtime session but saw his close-range shot blocked out for a corner in the 93rd minute and sent a header over from the ensuing corner kick. Johnson had the most clear-cut scoring attempt in the second overtime period but fired a shot straight at Forseth from inside the box in the 103rd minute.

In the shootout, both team's first three shooters all converted before Forseth made a save to his right to deny Nick Katzman on Gustavus' fourth attempt. Morgan converted his spot kick on the Oles' fourth attempt to give St. Olaf the advantage before Hecht sent the ball over the crossbar to give the Oles the title.