NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The top-seeded and fourth-ranked St. Olaf College men's soccer team will host sixth-seeded Saint John's University in the semifinals of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Playoffs on Thursday afternoon.

After winning the MIAC regular-season title to secure the No. 1 seed, St. Olaf (15-1-3) will match up with Saint John's (13-4-3) in a 2 p.m. kickoff at Rolf Mellby Field on Thursday, Nov. 6. The regular-season title was the fourth in a row (including shared titles) and 10th overall for the Oles.

Despite playing the final 15-plus minutes with just nine players, Saint John's upset third-seeded and sixth-ranked Augsburg University by a 2-1 margin in the quarterfinals on Monday night in Minneapolis. The Johnnies led 1-0 at halftime but conceded the game-tying goal in the 74th minute before having two players sent off for two yellow cards. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Saint John's got the game-winning goal from Alex Bowman in the 86th minute to defeat the nationally-ranked Auggies for the second time this season.

Thursday's other semifinal will see fourth-seeded Gustavus Adolphus College travel to St. Paul to take on second-seeded Macalester College in a 4:30 p.m. start. The Gusties knocked off sixth-seeded Bethel University, 3-0, in the other quarterfinal on Monday. The two semifinal victors will meet for the postseason title and the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, Nov. 8 at the site of the highest remining seed. Kickoff is tentatively scheduled for 1 p.m.

Per MIAC policy, admission will be charged throughout the MIAC Playoffs and all tickets will be sold online through HomeTown Ticketing. There will be no cash sales at any venue, but tickets can be purchased at any time using a mobile device. Tickets are $12 (plus HTT service charge) for adults and $3 (plus HTT service charge) for students (with ID). Children ages five and under are admitted for free. MIAC passes are accepted for the MIAC Playoffs, but no other passes are valid.

This year, the MIAC is implementing a one-year pay-per-view trial for the live streams of the MIAC Playoffs for all team sports. All games will be streamed on the MIAC Sports Network and fans can purchase a single-game pass for $10 or a "championship pass" for $25 to stream the entire tournament. On-demand access to all playoff games will be available after the NCAA Tournament concludes.

The MIAC Sports Network Help Page provides guidance and links to help fans navigate the streaming platform. Hudl Customer Support is also available by email or 24/7 chat to assist with any issues. Live statistics will also be available throughout the tournament.

St. Olaf is making its 13th appearance (2004, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013-15, 2019, 2021-25) appearance in the MIAC Playoffs and is in the field for the sixth season in a row. The Oles are 13-7-1 all-time in the tournament and have won the MIAC Playoffs five times (2011, 2015, 2022-24), which is the second-highest total of any program. St. Olaf is 7-4-0 all-time in the semifinal round, including winning each of its last five semifinals.

This year marks Saint John's 14th appearance in the MIAC Playoffs, as the Johnnies improved to 10-12-1 in the tournament with the win over Augsburg on Monday. Saint John's is 2-8-1 all-time in the semifinals and won the tournament as the No. 3 seed in 2005.

Thursday's semifinal will be the fourth meeting between St. Olaf and Saint John's in the MIAC Playoffs, with the Oles holding a 2-1-0 advantage in the three previous meetings. St. Olaf's wins were a 2-1 semifinal victory in 2021 and a 2015 quarterfinal win in 2015 after Saint John's claimed a 4-0 victory in the semifinals in 2014. Sophomore Jack Soares scored in the 85th minute to give the Oles a 1-0 win in Collegeville in the regular-season meeting back on Oct. 4 in what was the fifth one-goal win during St. Olaf's seven-match winning streak in the series.