Last Sunday, Nov. 17, St. Olaf Men’s Soccer’s 2024 season ended in heartbreaking fashion, losing to the University of Wisconsin-Superior in penalty kicks in the second round of the NCAA Division III National Tournament.
In the first round, played on Saturday, Nov. 16, the Oles defeated Wartburg 3-1. After Robi Buzakovic ’26 converted a penalty kick in the 25th minute, Wartburg equalized nine minutes later. After halftime, Abdirasak Bulale ’27 and Clemente Arcuch Puig ’24 scored within the first ten minutes of the second half to give St. Olaf a comfortable lead for the rest of the match. Wartburg produced multiple good chances towards the end of the half, but a brilliant save by Jack Hobday ’26 ensured the match ended 3-1.
The Oles started the match against UW-Superior flying, and Arcuch Puig’s second goal in as many games gave the Oles a 1-0 lead six minutes in. UW-Superior started the second half hot, scoring two goals within the first twelve minutes to go up 2-1. With only minutes to go and St. Olaf needing a goal, Shea Bechtel ’25, the all-time leading goalscorer in program history, scored his 42nd career goal, forcing the game into extra time.
After an uneventful 20 minutes, the match went to penalties. With two Oles having their penalties saved and all four UW-Superior penalties converted, the Yellowjackets won the shootout 4-2, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen.
It was another phenomenal season for St. Olaf. Despite losing multiple key seniors from their National Championship team a year ago, the Oles had an overall record of 15-4-4, including splitting the regular season Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) regular season title and winning the MIAC playoffs.
To the senior players and student managers — Peter Forseth, Clemente Arcuch Puig, Ian Holtz-Hazeltine, Shea Bechtel, Joe Deuitch, and Alex Felix — thank you for your contributions. You all have left an imprint on the legacy of this program, including four National Division III National Tournament appearances, three consecutive MIAC Playoff titles, and, of course, the NCAA Division III National Championship in 2023.
