On Tuesday, Sept. 30, St. Olaf Men’s Soccer defeated Gustavus Adolphus College in a 6-1 win on home turf, pushing St. Olaf higher in national and state rankings.
This was an important win for the team, as they are the only team in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) standings with a five-game winning streak. St. Olaf was tied for first with Bethel University with 3-0-0 (win, loss, tie) at the beginning of the day, but Bethel lost to the College of St. Scholastica 2-1, clinching the Oles’ position.
It was also an important game for national rankings. Augsburg University, previously ranked no. 3 on the United Soccer Coaches poll, also lost on Sept. 30 to Saint John’s University. Augsburg is now ranked no. 10, allowing space for the Oles to currently take no. 8. The Oles’ overall standing is at 11-1-2 with a four-win streak.
The game opened with a strong start from the Oles, with Riker Doolittle ’28 scoring 10 minutes into the game and Harry Ross ’28 scoring seven minutes later. St. Olaf solidified their lead with another goal toward the end of the first half by Ryan Wilson ’28. The Oles extended their lead to 5-1 in the 46th minute with a goal from Ryan Bechtel ’27 and in the 48th minute with a goal from Charlie Piller ’28. With three minutes left in the game, Lucas Montera ’28 scored the final goal to give St. Olaf their monumental 6-1 win.
When asked about how team dynamics and cohesiveness this season have contributed to this game, St. Olaf Men’s Soccer Captain Robi Buzakovic ’26 explained that an important factor is the closeness the team has to one another.
“We’re always with each other,” Buzakovic said in an interview with The Olaf Messenger. “All the sophomores live in Ytterboe together, and we have seven seniors in a townhouse. We play together. We eat together. We’re always building that connection.”
He explained that this closeness has contributed greatly to their performance on the field.
“We play like brothers. We work for each other,” Buzakovic said. “It’s not like a job; it makes it fun to play when you’re all friends.”
Buzakovic also mentioned that this year, the team has “4 to 5 captains,” instead of only one leading the team.
“[We] all lead equally in our own way,” he said. “Having different kinds of leaders makes it more inclusive for the whole team.”
Buzakovic explained that he typically helps to coach players off the field, one-on-one, but other captains shout directions during the game while players are on the field. Though their styles differ, Buzakovic emphasized the importance of having both styles on the team.
When asked how the team is preparing to take on Augsburg University, ranked no. 10, on Oct. 25, Buzakovic explained that they don’t look that far ahead into the future.
“We take every game as it comes,” he said. “How [do we] prepare for the next team ahead?”
Even so, Buzakovic mentioned that he thinks the team has what it takes to make it to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III championship.
“I think we have the quality there,” he said. “[We] feel closer as a team this year than when we won [the championship in 2023].”
But when it comes down to it, it’s not the championship that really matters.
“We all love soccer,” Buzakovic said. “[It’s] a great group of guys who want to see the best for the soccer team. Our winning is just a reflection of what we love and do.”
The team is now preparing for their next game on Oct. 15, where they will play St. Mary’s University in Winona.
