NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The St. Olaf College men's soccer team scored twice early in the second half to record a 3-1 victory over Wartburg College in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship on Saturday at Rolf Mellby Field.

In its fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament, St. Olaf (15-4-3) broke a 1-1 halftime tie with goals from sophomore Abdirasak Bulale and fifth-year senior Clemente Arcuch Puig in the opening eight-plus minutes of the second half. Wartburg (11-5-4) had canceled out a first-half penalty kick by junior Robi Buzakovic with a goal 10 minutes later from Flori Gembo to level the game at the break.

With the win, the Oles advanced to a second-round meeting with UW-Superior on Sunday, Nov. 17 at 1 p.m. with a spot in the sectional rounds on the line. The Yellowjackets knocked off ninth-ranked North Park University 1-0 in the second first-round game of the day.

Both teams had chances in the opening 20 minutes before junior Caspar Olseth rattled the crossbar with a volley from inside the penalty spot in the 21st minute for St. Olaf. The Oles proceeded to get on the board first in the 25th minute when Buzakovic converted from the spot after Arcuch Puig was barged over from behind in the box. The goal was Buzakovic's eighth of the season, six of which have come on penalty kicks.

St. Olaf's lead did not last 10 minutes, however, as Wartburg fought back to tie the game in the 34th minute when Gembo slotted the ball home with his left foot from the left side of the box after being found by Lwings Kabula. The two teams combined for 16 shots – eight apiece – and nine corner kicks in the opening 45 minutes.

The Oles needed only 94 seconds to break the 1-1 tie in the second half, as Bulale nodded in a cross from senior Shea Bechtel after Bechtel beat a Wartburg defender to the end line on the right and clipped the ball in to Bulale. The goal got Bulale into double figures on the season, while Bechtel added another assist to his program-record total that now stands at 45.

St. Olaf tacked on an insurance goal in the 54th minute when Arcuch Puig tapped the ball in from close range for his fourth of the season off assists from Bulale and junior Dimitri Nair. Nair started the sequence by drawing a save near the lower-left corner. Bulale attempted to slot home the rebound but knocked the ball off Arcuch Puig, who reacted quickest to poke the ball home.

Junior Jack Hobday and the St. Olaf defense made the two-goal lead stand up the rest of the way, as Hobday registered a career-high eight saves in his second collegiate start. Henry Eckert made four saves for Wartburg, which held edges of 21-17 in shots and 9-7 in shots on goal in the game.