NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The second-ranked St. Olaf College men's soccer team held a pair of one-goal leads but was pegged back twice in a 2-2 tie against UW-Superior on Tuesday afternoon at Rolf Mellby Field.
Sophomore
Tustin Todd gave St. Olaf (12-0-2) a 1-0 halftime lead with a free kick midway through the first half, but UW-Superior (9-3-2) equalized in the 63rd minute. Junior
Mateo Ormaza put the Oles back on top in the 75th minute before the Yellowjackets got a late game-tying goal from Rowan Wagner in the final four minutes.
The game was the fifth since the 2023 NCAA Tournament for the two teams, who have met in the national tournament in each of the last three seasons. The tie also snapped St. Olaf's 11-game home winning streak and was the Oles' second tie in the last eight days. St. Olaf fell one spot to No. 2 in this week's United Soccer Coaches national poll released earlier on Tuesday afternoon.
Todd netted the lone goal of the first half with a 23rd-minute free kick to the top-right corner. All three of the sophomore's goals this season have come in the last five games.
St. Olaf maintained the 1-0 lead until Jacob Wyles sent a looping one-timer across goal and into the left side from roughly 25 yards out in the 63rd minute to bring UW-Superior level. The Oles responded 12 minutes later when Ormaza nodded in a flicked cross from junior
Ryan Wilson in the 75th minute to put the Oles in front for a second time. The goal gave Ormaza goals in each of the last three games.
The Yellowjackets tied the game for a second time with just under four minutes to play when Wagner headed the ball in after a pair of UW-Superior headers were cleared off the line by St. Olaf defenders following a free kick from the right wing.
The Oles held advantages of 19-13 in shots and 12-5 in shots on goal, while also having 10 of the game's 13 corner kicks. Two UW-Superior goalkeepers combined for eight saves, while junior
Beckett Carlson had just one save for St. Olaf.
With its non-conference slate complete, the Oles will head down the stretch of MIAC play starting with a 3:30 p.m. kickoff at Macalester College on Saturday, Oct. 17. The Scots received votes in this week's United Soccer Coaches Region IX Poll.
