Northfield, Minn. --Yemi Adegunju (Jr./Winnepeg, Mantiboa/Vincent Massey Collegiate) scored his eighth goal of the season in the 24th minute and an air-tight Carleton defense made it hold up in a 1-0 victory over cross-town rival St. Olaf College.
Adegunju flicked the ball into the net off a perfectly-played pass by Nick Feltz (Fy./West Des Moines, Iowa/West Des Moines Valley) for his fourth goal in the last four conference matches. The tally, his eighth of the season, tied him for the team lead in goals with Feltz. Adegunju scored six goals in 10 MIAC matches, a team high.
It was a big win for us," Carleton head coach Bob Carlson said. "To bounce back from the tough loss to Macalester on Wednesday makes me very proud of this team."
The win, the Knights' 11th on the season, matched the 1997's squad school record for wins in a season. The loss eliminated the Oles from the MIAC Playoffs, as St. Olaf needed a win to claim the fourth and final spot in the four-team conference tournament. It was Carleton's first win over St. Olaf since head coach Bob Carlson's inaugural season, 1997, snapping a five-match streak. The triumph, Carleton's seventh in eight road matches this season, allowed the Knights to even their MIAC record at 5-5.
The Knights generated a number of great chances over the final 45 minutes, but they weren't able to tally. Carleton's defense, meanwhile, allowed the Oles only a few solid chances in the final 45 minutes, but keeper Andy Cave (Sr./Portland, Ore./Lincoln) made a brilliant save on two of those chances and another was just high.
The match was the final for Carleton seniors Cave, Joe Sutherland (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West), Damian Winters (Concord, Mass./Concord Academy), Brett Mularski (Evanston, Ill.) and Jeremy Schultz (Walton, Neb./Waverly). The victory pushed the class's win total to 37, making them the all-time winningest class in the history of Carleton men's soccer.
"I was very pleased with our effort and of our seniors," Carlson said. "The loss to Macalester was heartbreaking, but character-building as well, and we showed a lot of mental toughness in bouncing back with a great victory over our cross-town rivals. To close the season in this fashion is very gratifying."
Carleton has now posted five consecutive winning seasons under the direction of Carlson.