SAINT PETER, Minn. - No. 4 Gustavus men's soccer is set to host the MIAC playoff championship game Saturday afternoon against defending national champion St. Olaf. The Gusties, ranked No. 2 in Region IX, enter the game 15-0-3 overall (8-0-2 MIAC) after a 3-2 win over Carleton in the semifinals, while the Oles are 13-4-3 overall (8-0-2 MIAC) after defeating Augsburg 4-1 in the semis. 
 
GUSTIES IN THE MIAC PLAYOFFS

The MIAC men's soccer playoffs began in 2003 and since then Gustavus has made 18 appearances with a record of 18-10, including a league-best seven championships. This year's playoff appearance is the eighth consecutive for Gustavus after falling in a shootout in the title game to St. Olaf last season. The Gusties last won the league playoff in 2019 when they defeated Saint John's 6-2 in the semifinals and St. Thomas 3-1 in the championship.
 
THE SERIES

Saturday's game marks the 63rd all-time meeting between Gustavus and St. Olaf on the soccer pitch with the Gusties holding a 25-21-16 advantage in the series. The two teams have expanded on their rivalry in the last few years, matching up in the MIAC playoff championship for the third consecutive year. In 2022, the Oles won 2-1 in Saint Peter, and last year, the game ended in a 1-1 tie, but the Oles clinched the title with a 4-3 win in penalty kicks. 
 
LAST TIME THEY MET

In a battle of the top two teams in MIAC men's soccer, then-No. 5 Gustavus and St. Olaf played to a 3-3 draw on Oct. 23. 

St. Olaf got the scoring started five minutes into the game, taking advantage of some miscommunication between Gusties in front of their own goal, scored by Shea Bechtel, and Gustavus was faced with its first deficit of the season. Leo Runestad evened the score in the 21st minute, chipping in a goal from the right side on a through-ball from Carlos Robles. Seven minutes later, Rivaldo Pena found Miles Redmond open up the middle of the field who beat the defenders for a breakaway goal - the first of his career. And in the 33rd minute, Runestad tallied his second goal of the game, finding the bottom right corner of the net with the help of Spencer Skjeldestad. 

Gustavus carried a 3-1 lead into halftime, but the Oles came out of the break strong with a pair of goals within three minutes of each other, scored by Clemente Arcuch Puig and Bechtel again, tying the score 3-3 in the 52nd minute. The Gusties posted 12 shots in the second half, including a flurry of shots shortly after the Oles' third goal, but couldn't connect for the game-winner. St. Olaf had 10 shots in the second half, but also couldn't score its fourth goal. 

The Gusties out-shot the Oles 23-14 overall and 7-5 on goal. Egan Bedwell made a pair of saves after facing five shots, while Peter Forseth made four saves for the Oles. 
 
SCOUTING THE GUSTIES

For the second time in the past three seasons, Gustavus enters the MIAC playoff championship game with an undefeated record. Their .917 winning percentage ranks first in Division III. The Gusties have one of the best defenses in the country, ranking 10th in shutout percentage (.611) and 18th in team goals against average (.611). Keeper Egan Bedwell leads the nation with 11 shutouts this season, having played in every minute (1620:00) of every game. Bedwell owns a 0.61 goals against average and a .776 save percentage. Joe Flory leads the team with 23 points on 11 goals and one assist. Flory also leads the team with 22 shots on goal. Owen Johnson is next with 15 points and a team-leading nine assists. Johnson has taken the most shots at 55 and is tied with Flory with 22 shots on goal. Earlier this season, Johnson set the program record for career assists and enters Saturday's game with 46 career assists. His 74 career points currently rank 11th in program history. Playing both center back and center forward throughout the season, Jared Hecht has five goals and three assists for 13 points after scoring a pair of goals Thursday. As a team, the Gusties average 2.11 goals and 17.1 shots per game.

SCOUTING THE OLES

St. Olaf rolled to a comfortable 4-1 win over Augsburg on Thursday in the semifinals, winning its third straight game and extending its unbeaten streak to seven games. The Oles are riding a streak of 24 games without a loss against a conference opponent, with their last loss coming against Gustavus in the 2022 NCAA sectional semifinal, 4-3 in PKs. Through 20 games this season, the Oles average 2.7 goals and 19.9 shots per game, while allowing 1.0 goals and 11.6 shots per game. Shea Bechtel leads the team and MIAC with 31 points on 12 goals and seven assists, including a team-high 33 shots on goal. Ryan Bechtel is next with 22 points on six goals and a team-high 10 assists. Peter Forseth has spent the most time in goal with a 1.06 goals against average and .736 save percentage in 1620:00 minutes.