SALEM, Va. – The fourth-ranked St. Olaf College men's soccer team will take on top-ranked Tufts University in the national semifinals of the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship on Friday afternoon at Kerr Stadium.

In its second-ever appearance in the national semifinals, St. Olaf (20-2-3) will face Tufts (18-1-3) in the first semifinal on Friday, Dec. 5 at 2 p.m. CST. In the second semifinal, fifth-ranked Trinity University (Texas) (19-1-1) will match up with sixth-ranked Emory University (16-1-4) at 5:30 p.m. CST. The winners will vie for the national title at 11 a.m. CST on Sunday, Dec. 6.

Fans can stream all three of this weekend's games on NCAA.com or through NCAA Championships Pass. Fans who have made the trip to Salem can purchase tickets online through HomeTown Ticketing.

Friday's game will be the first-ever meeting between St. Olaf and Tufts in men's soccer and just the Oles' third game against a New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) opponent. St. Olaf has won each of the other two games against NESCAC foes, defeating Williams College in the sectional semifinals this year and Amherst College in the 2023 national championship game.

St. Olaf is in the midst of its 12th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history (1984, 1992, 1998-99, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2021-25) and is 19-8-2 all-time in the national tournament. This year marks the third time that a St. Olaf team has advanced to the national semifinals in a 64-team, bracket-style NCAA Championship event, along with the 2023 men's soccer team and the 1996 volleyball team.

In its first four NCAA Tournament games, St. Olaf has outscored its opponents by a 8-1 margin, with shutouts of UW-Superior, Luther College, and eighth-ranked Wheaton College (Mass.). The Oles have played each of their last seven games on their home turf at Rolf Mellby Field, where St. Olaf is 13-1-2 this season. Under head coach Justin Oliver, St. Olaf has matched its program record with 20 victories this season, tying the 2023 team's mark.

This year's Final Four includes four of the top-six teams in the latest United Soccer Coaches national poll and all four teams were ranked in the top 12 of the NCAA Power Index (NPI). Tufts is ranked No. 1 in the NPI, St. Olaf is No. 3, Emory is No. 5, and Trinity (Texas) is No. 12 in the NPI, which is the system used by the NCAA to select and seed teams for national tournaments. The four teams in the national semifinals have a combined record of 73-5-11.