NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The top-ranked St. Olaf College men's soccer team fell 1-0 to the visiting University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in its home opener on Thursday afternoon at Rolf Mellby Field.

In the first-ever meeting between the two programs, Mary Hardin-Baylor got a goal from Drew Cooley in the 72nd minute and held on to blank St. Olaf (2-2-0) and bring a run to the Oles' 12-game unbeaten streak at home that dated back to a 4-2 loss to the then-top-ranked University of Chicago on Sept. 1, 2023. The game marked the first time St. Olaf had been shut out at home in 36 games since a 1-0 double-overtime defeat to Concordia-Moorhead on Nov. 2, 2019.

Cooley provided the decisive moment for the Crusaders in the final 20 minutes when he slotted the ball home after being slipped in on the right side of the box by Ethan Dacaret. St. Olaf had a chance to tie the game with a penalty kick in the final three minutes but was unable to convert.

The Oles held a 14-8 advantage in shots in the game, as both teams generated four shots on goal over the 90 minutes. Hayden Owens stopped all four of St. Olaf's shots on goal to claim the shutout win for the visitors, while senior Peter Forseth had three saves for the Oles.

St. Olaf had a trio of scoring chances in the opening 30-plus minutes of the first half. In the 14th minute, senior Shea Bechtel cut the ball back to junior Robi Buzakovic at the penalty spot, but a UMHB defender quickly closed down Buzakovic's effort. Ten minutes later, Bechtel slipped in fifth-year senior Clemente Arcuch Puig on the left side of the box, but Owens got down to stop Arcuch Puig's shot at the near post. In the 32nd minute, first year Charlie Piller got on the end of a cross from the right but could not steer his effort from the middle of the box on goal.

With the Crusaders clinging to the 1-0 lead in the final minutes, junior Ben Beckman created a scoring chance for sophomore Abdirasak Bulale with five minutes to go, as Beckman cut the ball back to Bulale, whose shot went straight at Owens. The home loss was just the second in the last 25 home games for St. Olaf, which had been 20-1-3 since a 2-1 loss to Carleton College in the championship game of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Playoffs on Nov. 6, 2021.

The Oles remain at home for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges on Monday, Sept. 9.