No. 22 Saint John’s Soccer Falls to No. 1 St. Olaf in MIAC Championship PK Shootout
Third-seeded No. 22 Saint John’s soccer battled top-seeded No. 1 St. Olaf to a 1–1 draw through regulation and overtime in the MIAC Playoff Championship on Saturday, Nov. 7, before falling 4–1 in a penalty-kick shootout.
The hard-fought match came down to the wire in Northfield, Minn., as the Oles converted all four of their penalty attempts while the Johnnies managed one make against two saves. Despite the championship loss, the draw bolsters Saint John’s National Power Index (NPI) standing as the program awaits the selection of the 64-team field for the 2026 NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Tournament.
How the Match Unfolded on the Pitch
St. Olaf tested sophomore goalkeeper Austin Ertel of Brownsburg, Ind., early with a pair of quick chances, though the SJU defense cleared the danger. Sophomore forward Eli Ryan of Victoria, Minn., nearly struck back for the Johnnies on a narrow miss off a corner kick.
Saint John’s carved out the game’s first quality scoring chance at 15:19 when a corner kick by Grady Monette of Andover, Minn., drifted into the box. Freshman forward Jacob Oliver of St. Cloud, Minn., connected for a solid flick, but his header slammed directly off the post and bounced away.
The Oles broke the deadlock at 27:44. Three headers in a row changed the direction of the ball to beat three SJU defenders who were supporting Ertel in goal. Ryan tested the St. Olaf defense again shortly after, but his shot tipped off the hands of opposing goalkeeper Beckett Carlson, sending the Oles into halftime with a 1–0 advantage.
Saint John’s turned up the offensive pressure immediately after the break, securing the equalizer just 5:23 into the second half. Following an SJU throw-in, Oliver pounced on an Ole turnover and flicked the ball upward to Monette, who headed it over Carlson.
Monette nearly put the Johnnies ahead in the 68th minute, but Carlson denied his close-range shot with a diving stop on the goal line. SJU generated three additional quality chances in the final 10 minutes of regulation but failed to convert, pushing the Johnnies into overtime for the second game in a row.
St. Olaf earned a free kick just outside the box in the first extra session, but the set-piece attempt sailed high. After 110 minutes of competitive soccer left the score deadlocked at 1–1, the championship shifted to a penalty-kick shootout.
Saint John's Holds Edge in Shots and Fouls
When the final whistle blew, Saint John’s held the edge in total shots (20–15) and shots on goal (6–5). The Johnnies also earned eight corner kicks compared to just two for the Oles, while accumulating 21 total fouls and three yellow cards.
Ertel finished the contest with three saves. Monette paced the attack with four shots, including three on target. Three Johnnies joined Ertel in playing all 110 minutes: freshman defenders Billy Cornett of Minneapolis and Tommy Voshell of St. Paul, alongside sophomore captains Ryan and Taylor Petrich of Woodbury.
The result moves Saint John’s overall record to 17-2-3 (7-2-1 MIAC), while St. Olaf stands at 17-0-4 (9-0-1 MIAC). The official 64-team field for the NCAA Division III tournament is scheduled to be revealed at 10 a.m. CT on Monday, Nov. 9, on ncaa.com, with the Johnnies slated to play in the NCAA First Round on Friday, Nov. 13.
