FARMINGTON, Minn. – The 2026 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Men's Soccer Playoffs got underway on Tuesday.
No. 3 Saint John's outlasted No. 6 Augsburg, 3-2, while No. 4 Carleton rallied for a 4-2 win over No. 5 Macalester. The Johnnies and Knights will join No. 1 St. Olaf and No. 2 Gustavus in the semifinals on Thursday.
QUARTERFINAL RESULTS
FINAL | QUARTERFINAL
No. 5 Macalester 2
No. 4 Carleton 4
RECAP
- Macalester led 2-0 at halftime on two goals from Chris Frantz (20:12, 20:52), both assisted by Kasdan Blattman.
- Carleton scored four unanswered goals in the second half, beginning with Josh Zebrack's goal at 52:28 and Oscar Gates' goal at 62:36.
- Willan Shrock scored twice in the final three minutes, at 87:47 and 89:35, to give Carleton the lead and the win.
NEXT: NO. 4 CARLETON AT NO. 1 ST. OLAF | THURSDAY, 2:00 PM
- Carleton will now match up with No. 1 St. Olaf in the semifinals on Thursday.
- The Knights lead the all-time playoff series with the Oles, 3-2.
- The teams last met in the 2021 championship game, a 2-1 Carleton win.
- St. Olaf won the 2026 regular season matchup with Carleton, 3-0, on 9/30.
FINAL | QUARTERFINAL
No. 6 Augsburg 2
No. 3 Saint John's 3
RECAP
- Saint John's led 2-0 at the half on a penalty kick from Billy Cornett (30:54) and a goal from Soren Benson (38:06).
- Aidan Buckneberg extended the lead to 3-0 at 49:48.
- Augsburg answered with second-half goals from Caleb Ibarra (58:12) and Liam Paradiso (87:25) but could not complete the comeback.
- Austin Ertel made six saves for the Johnnies, and Augsburg's Finnur Mercier made seven.
NEXT: NO. 3 SAINT JOHN'S AT NO. 2 GUSTAVUS | THURSDAY, 2:00 PM
- The Johnnies will head to St. Peter for a semifinal matchup against the Gusties on Thursday.
- Gustavus leads the all-time playoff series with Saint John's, 5-3.
- The teams last met in the 2023 quarterfinals, a 2-0 Gustie win.
- Gustavus won the 2026 regular season matchup, 2-0, in Collegeville on 9/19.
SEMIFINAL MATCHUPS SET FOR THURSDAY
The Johnnies and Knights advanced to Thursday's semifinals, where they will clash with No. 1 St. Olaf and No. 2 Gustavus. The Oles will host No. 4 Carleton, while the Gusties will welcome No. 3 Saint John's. Both games are tentatively set for 2:00 p.m. starts.
No. 4 Carleton at No. 1 St. Olaf
Thursday, Nov. 5 | 2:00 PM | Rolf Mellby Field, Northfield
No. 3 Saint John's at No. 2 Gustavus
Thursday, Nov. 5 | 2:00 PM | Gustie Soccer Field, St. Peter
Thursday's two semifinal winners will meet on Saturday, November 7, in the 2026 MIAC Men's Soccer Playoff championship game. The game is tentatively scheduled for 1:00 p.m. The MIAC Playoff champion will receive the postseason championship trophy and the conference's automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Tournament.
NPI OUTLOOK
The NCAA Power Index (NPI) is used to select the 22 at-large bids to the NCAA Division III Tournament after the 42 automatic qualifiers have been determined on November 8.
The most recent NPI rankings on November 3 list three MIAC men's soccer teams among the top 40 in NCAA Division III:
The NPI cut line in 2025 was No. 31.
PLAYOFF APPAREL
Official playoff apparel is available for online purchase via the MIAC Shop powered by UNRestricted MKTG. The online MIAC Shop features officially licensed short-sleeve t-shirts, long-sleeve t-shirts, and hooded sweatshirts to commemorate the 2026 conference tournament. The items available in this store are custom-decorated. Please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery. All apparel items are online-only, custom-made, and all sales are final.
Regular season team champion apparel is available for online purchase now, with playoff team champion apparel set to be released after the conference tournament concludes.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
All tickets for the 2026 MIAC Playoffs will be sold and purchased online via HomeTown Ticketing. There will not be cash sales at any venue; however, spectators can purchase tickets using a mobile device, including while at the venue. Tickets are available for purchase immediately. General admission adult tickets are $12 (plus HTT service charge). Student (with ID) tickets are $3 (plus HTT service charge), and children ages five and under are admitted free. As a reminder, artificial noisemakers are not permitted at any MIAC events.
The 2026 MIAC Men's Soccer Playoffs will be streamed live on the MIAC Sports Network in a pay-per-view format. Individual playoff contests will be streamed for $10 each, or $25 for a "championship pass" to stream the entire tournament live. On-demand access to playoff games will be available after the NCAA Tournament concludes.
The MIAC Sports Network Help Page provides guidance and links to help fans navigate the streaming platform. Hudl Customer Support is also available by email or 24/7 chat to assist with any issues.
2026 MIAC MEN'S SOCCER PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
| Quarterfinals | Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026 | 2:00 PM |
| No. 3 Saint John's 3, No. 6 Augsburg 2 |
Box Score |
| No. 4 Carleton 4, No. 5 Macalester 2 |
Box Score |
| Semifinals | Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026 | 2:00 PM |
| No. 4 Carleton at No. 1 St. Olaf |
Pay-Per-View | Stats | Tickets |
| No. 3 Saint John's at No. 2 Gustavus |
Pay-Per-View | Stats | Tickets |
| Championship | Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026 | 1:00 PM |
| High-seed host |
Pay-Per-View |
GAME TIMES ARE TENTATIVE