NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The No. 16-ranked St. Olaf College men's soccer team took sole possession of first place in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) standings with a 6-1 rout of No. 24-ranked Gustavus Adolphus College on Tuesday afternoon at Rolf Mellby Field.

St. Olaf (9-1-2, 4-0-0 MIAC) scored three goals in each half and got goals from six different student-athletes on its way to its largest margin of victory in the all-time series with Gustavus (7-3-0, 2-2-0 MIAC), while also piling up its highest-ever goal total in the series. Earlier in the day, the Oles moved up three spots to No. 16 in the United Soccer Coaches national poll, while the Gusties broke into the top 25 at No. 24.

Sophomores Riker Doolittle, Harry Ross, Ryan Wilson, Charlie Piller, and Lucas Montera, as well as junior Ryan Bechtel, accounted for St. Olaf's six goals. Bechtel recorded a pair of assists in the win, while Ross and Montera added assists to their goals. The victory extended the Oles' unbeaten streak in MIAC regular-season games to 26 (21-0-5).

St. Olaf entered the day in a tie for first place in the MIAC standings with Bethel University as the only 3-0-0 teams in the conference, but the Royals fell, 2-1, to the College of St. Scholastica at home. Third-ranked Augsburg University also lost its 100 percent MIAC record with a 5-2 road loss to Saint John's University, leaving the Oles as the lone remaining unbeaten team in the conference.

Doolittle got the scoring started for St. Olaf in the 11th minute, blasting in a rebound after his own long-range shot was blocked by a Gustavus defender for his fourth goal of the season. Seven minutes later, Ross netted his first collegiate goal with a close-range header after a corner kick was not cleared by the Gustie defense.

With 10 minutes to go until the half, Wilson extended St. Olaf's lead to 3-0 by turning in a right-wing cross by Bechtel in front of the goal for his third goal of the season. Ryder Tomlinson gave Gustavus hope of a comeback by firing home a one-timer after a long throw-in was not cleared in the 42nd minute.

After the halftime break, the Oles responded with two quick goals to balloon their lead to 5-1. Just over a minute into the half, Bechtel tucked home a left-footed finish from the right side of the box after Ross knocked down a cross by first year Tustin Todd. Two-and-a-half minutes later, Piller curled a left-footed shot inside the lower-left corner from the top of the box after the St. Olaf press forced a turnover in the attacking end.

Montera capped the scoring in the 88th minute with his second collegiate goal – his first of the season – by firing the ball in after intercepting an attempted pass by the Gustavus goalkeeper. St. Olaf scored on six of its seven shots on goal in the game, as the Gusties held a 15-13 edge in shots over the 90 minutes.

Senior Jack Hobday recorded his fifth win this season with a five-save performance that included a save in a 1-on-1 with Gustavus leading scorer Joe Flory in the 53rd minute and a sprawling save on Evan Afdahl in the 67th minute. Three Gustie goalkeepers combined for just one save in the game.

The Oles will travel to Saint John's for a 12:30 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, Oct. 4 at Haws Field in Collegeville.