<eview brings mixed news for Carleton men’s soccer as they clinched the MIAC title but failed in their bid to advance to the playoff final.
Carleton looked superb on Saturday as they defeated cross-town rivals St. Olaf 2-1 to claim the second conference championship in the school’s history. Although the Oles seemed to have the momentum in the first half of this epic match, goals by Paul Pedtke ’09 and Brian TenHoor ’09 secured the win for the visiting Knights. Bobby Phillips ’09 played a perfect ball through the Ole defense that was then dummied by TenHoor while Pedtke sprinted through the confounded defenders and beat the keeper.
Less than 2 minutes after the first goal, Tenhoor picked the pocket of the Ole central defender and slotted home what proved to be the game-winning goal of the match. Although St. Olaf managed to score in the second half, ending Pete Semmer’s ’11 738:20 minute long scoreless streak, the Knight’s tenacious defense shut down the Ole offense for the remainder of the game.
After the game, Carleton moved into 15th place in the NSCAA / Adidas® rankings. Additionally Brian TenHoor was awarded the MIAC Player of the Week for Oct. 23-29 for his inspiring play in recent matches.
Unfortunately, Halloween brought bad tidings for the Knights as they were barely defeated by the visiting Oles in the first round of the playoffs. With the wind at their backs, the Oles managed to send a cutting ball through the Knight’s defense that was put home by Nate Swenson. Despite rallying strongly in the second half, Carleton was unable to find the back of the net in the face of good defending and pure bad luck. Carleton was dangerous throughout the half, winning 6 corner kicks but not finishing on any of them.
Although this marked the end of the Knight’s march to playoff gold, they still have a chance to win an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. With their strong regional record, MIAC title, and record setting winning streak, there is hope that this thrilling season will not end so soon.