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SALEM, Va. – The fourth-ranked St. Olaf College men’s soccer team fell, 2-1, to top-ranked Tufts University in the semifinals of the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship on Friday afternoon at Donald J. Kerr Stadium.
In its second-ever appearance in the national semifinals, St. Olaf (20-3-3) got on the board first on a goal by sophomore Ryan Wilson in the 29th minute, but Tufts (19-1-3) scored set-piece goals in either half to overcome Wilson’s opener and move on to the national championship game on Sunday. The meeting was the first-ever game between the Oles and Jumbos.
The loss brought an end to the careers of St. Olaf’s decorated senior class of Jack Hobday, Dimitri Nair, Aidan Hillis, Robi Buzakovic, Caspar Olseth, Aaron Rutherford, and Ben Beckman. The seven-member class helped the Oles to a 70-15-12 record over the last four seasons, won three Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) regular-season and three MIAC Playoff titles, and made four NCAA Tournament appearances, including the program’s first national title in 2023 and this year’s run to the Final Four.
St. Olaf weathered an early storm from Tufts, which had three scoring chances in the opening 10 minutes. In the third minute, Ethan Jett sent a back-post header back across goal and wide from the right side. Five minutes later, Hobday got a touch to a shot by All-American Xavier Canfin to tip the ball onto the post near the top-right corner. Jett had another look ta goal in the ninth minute but fired the shot over the top-left corner.
Junior Sean Elster had the Oles’ first scoring chance of the game in the 14th minute, but his effort shortly after a corner kick was straight at Tufts goalkeeper Nikola Antic. Hobday made another save in the 19th minute to tip over a shot from Alex Johnson following a free kick from near midfield.
St. Olaf opened the scoring in the 29th minute when sophomore Jack Soares drove into the box and squared the ball to Wilson, who curled the ball into the top-right corner for his fifth goal of the season. Soares’ assist was his first of the year.
The Oles’ lead lasted less than five minutes, however, as the Jumbos equalized through James Gunn in the 34th minute. Gunn was on hand to force the ball in from close range off a loose ball in the box. Tufts outshot St. Olaf by a 12-6 margin in the opening 45 minutes, as the teams went into the locker room tied at 1-1.
Inside the first two minutes, the referee reviewed a tackle in the box for a potential penalty kick for Tufts after a video assistant referee (VAR) recommendation, but no penalty kick was awarded. Despite the Oles enjoying more of the possession in the second half, the Jumbos got the winning goal from Taylor Feinberg – his first of the season – in the 77th minute, as Feinberg headed in a corner kick from Ellis Denby.
In the closing minutes, Antic made a quick-reaction save with a flailing arm to deny Elster’s goal-bound shot, as Antic rushed back towards his line after being unable to clear the ball with a punch. Off the ensuing corner kick, the ball ricocheted off a Tufts defender off the forehead of Soares and just over the bar, with both Elster and Soares’ chances coming in the 85th minute.
Tufts finished the game with a 16-12 advantage in shots and a 5-4 edge in shots on goal, while having eight corner kicks to St. Olaf’s three. St. Olaf’s 20 wins this season tied the 2023 national championship team for the most in program history.