KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three members of the St. Olaf College men's soccer team were honored on the 2025 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III Men's Scholar All-North/Central Region Teams and two landed on the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III Men's Scholar All-America Teams, as announced on Wednesday and Thursday.
Junior
Ryan Bechtel and senior
Robi Buzakovic were both named First Team Scholar All-Americans and First Team Scholar All-Region honorees, while senior
Caspar Olseth was also a second-time regional honoree. St. Olaf was one of three schools with two First Team Scholar All-Americans and one of three with three Scholar All-Region selections.
This year marked the first time St. Olaf has put multiple student-athletes on the Scholar All-America Teams and the first time three Oles have earned Scholar All-Region honors in the same season.
In order to be eligible for the accolade, a student-athlete must be nominated by their head coach and meet the following minimum criteria: play for a current United Soccer Coaches College Services member, be a junior or above in athletic standing, have at least a 3.40 cumulative grade-point average (GPA), play a minimum of 75 percent of their team's games during the season, by an elite player as supported by playing honors (All-American, All-Region, etc.), and meet the highest standards of ethics and sportsmanship as confirmed by their coach.
After being named a College Sports Communicators First Team Academic All-American earlier in the week, Bechtel landed another academic/athletic accolade following a standout junior season. A quantitative economics major with a 3.83 cumulative GPA, Bechtel was a United Soccer Coaches First Team All-American and First Team All-Region IX honoree, the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Offensive Player of the Year, and an All-MIAC selection after compiling 35 points on 11 goals and 13 assists in 25 games.
A biology major with a 3.75 cumulative GPA, Buzakovic concluded his decorated career with United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-America, United Soccer Coaches First Team All-Region IX, and All-MIAC honors. The center midfielder recorded four goals and a career-high eight assists for 16 points in 24 games.
Olseth added Second Team Scholar All-Region honors to a senior season that saw the center back earn United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-Region IX and All-MIAC honors. The psychology major with a 3.92 cumulative GPA started all 23 of his appearances this season, helping the Oles to a program-record 12 shutouts and a 0.88 goals-against average while also chipping in with nine points on three goals and three assists.
St. Olaf finished the season 20-3-3 overall and made a run to the national semifinals for the second time in program history, finishing the season as the No. 3 team in the country in the United Soccer Coaches national poll. The Oles went 9-0-1 in MIAC play to win their fourth MIAC regular-season title in five seasons.
