NORTHFIELD, Minn. – For the sixth time in program history and the first time since 2024, the St. Olaf Oles are Men's Soccer Playoff Champions of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC).

The Oles defeated Saint John's, 4-1 on penalty kicks following a 1-1 draw through two scoreless overtimes, on Saturday afternoon in Northfield.

St. Olaf now heads to the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Tournament as the automatic qualifier from the MIAC.

FINAL RESULT

HOW IT HAPPENED

• St. Olaf led 1-0 at halftime on a goal by Blaine Batchelor at 27:44.
• Grady Monette tied the game at 1-1 at 50:23 of the second half. Neither team scored in the two overtime periods.
• St. Olaf won the penalty kick shootout, 4-1. Calvin Hess, Ryan Bechtel, Beckett Carlson, and Daniel Valdes converted for the Oles, and Carlson saved kicks by Billy Cornett and Eli Ryan.
• Saint John's outshot St. Olaf, 20-15, and held a 6-5 edge in shots on goal and an 8-2 edge in corner kicks. Carlson made five saves and Austin Ertel made four for the Johnnies.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• With the victory, St. Olaf earned the MIAC's automatic qualifier to the 2026 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Tournament. This is the 13th time in program history that the Oles will head to the national tournament, and the program's sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth.
• The Playoff title is the sixth for St. Olaf, which previously won the MIAC tournament in 2011, 2015, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
• St. Olaf now trails only Gustavus (7) for the most MIAC Men's Soccer Playoff titles.

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.

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 6 place St. Olaf at No. 4, Saint John's at No. 22, and Gustavus at No. 41.
• The NPI cut line in 2025 was No. 31.
• The number of MIAC teams to receive an at-large invitation to the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship will depend on which teams claim the other 41 conference AQs across the rest of D-III.

UP NEXT

• The 64-team bracket for the 2026 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship tournament will be revealed during the NCAA.com annual selection show on Monday, November 9, at 10:00 a.m. Central time.
• The opening rounds of the national tournament are scheduled for Saturday, November 14, and Sunday, November 15. Sectionals will be played the following weekend, with the national semifinals on Thursday, December 3, and the national championship on Saturday, December 5, at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
• The MIAC will announce its annual men's soccer awards, including All-Conference, All-Playoff, and individual honors on Monday, November 9.

2026 MIAC MEN'S SOCCER PLAYOFF SCHEDULE