NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The third-ranked St. Olaf College men's soccer team recorded its fourth victory in a row to start the season with a 3-0 shutout of Carroll University in non-conference play on Tuesday afternoon at Rolf Mellby Field.
Junior
Jack Soares scored the final two goals for St. Olaf (4-0-0) after classmate
Blaine Batchelor tallied the lone goal of the first half in the win over Carroll (1-3-0). The Oles have outscored the Pioneers by an 8-0 margin over the last two seasons after meeting just once prior to 2025. The victory was St. Olaf's third consecutive shutout and gave the Oles their first 4-0-0 start to a season since 2013.
Batchelor gave St. Olaf the breakthrough in the 31st minute by heading in a cross from the right from junior
Riker Doolittle after senior
Ryan Bechtel found Doolittle with a throw-in. The goal was the second of Batchelor's career, with both goals being game-winners. Batchelor scored an 89th-minute header in a 2-1 win at Bethel University on Sept. 17, 2024 before missing the entire 2025 season due to injury.
Early in the second half, Soares, who led the Oles with 14 goals last season, got his first goal of the season by steering in a centering pass from sophomore
Tustin Todd on the left to make it 2-0. Soares completed the fourth multi-goal game of his career in the 80th minute by getting the final touch to get the ball over the line after Bechtel's shot from the top of the box produced a rebound near the goal line.
St. Olaf had 22 shots and nine shots on goal in the game, compared to five shots and two on goal for Carroll. The Oles also had 12 of the game's 13 corner kicks. Junior
Beckett Carlson, who was named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Defensive Player of the Week earlier in the day, stopped both shots on goal for the Pioneers, who got six saves from Angel Escamilla.
The Oles will be back at home on Friday, Sept. 11 for a 4:30 start against Bethany Lutheran College.
