Northfield, Minn. - Brett Adelman (Fy./Westminster, Colo./Legacy) scored the lone goal of the match in the 22nd minute as the Carleton College men's soccer team defeated St. Olaf College, 1-0.
With the win, the Knights (11-5-2, 5-3-2 MIAC) ended the season on a seven-game winning streak. Carleton's 11 victories this season also matches the school record.
Ross Mattson (Sr./St. Paul, Minn./Minnehaha Academy) recorded a shutout in the final game of his collegiate career. It was the 11th shutout of his career. Mattson was the top choice in goal for Carleton head coach Bob Carlson in each of Mattson's four years at Carleton, and he amassed a record of 26-22-3.
Adelman, who had came into the match moments earlier, ran onto a pass from Paul Pedtke (So./Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township), and slotted the ball past St. Olaf goalkeeper Eric Smith, off the far post and into the net. It was Adelman's fourth goal of the year, and Pedtke's third assist of the season.
Other than the goal, the game was evenly played, with both teams controlling possession for long stretches of the match. The Knights outshot the Oles 6-5, but both teams put three shots on goal.
However, the Knights created the best chances of the match, and the Oles needed their 'keeper to keep them in the match. Smith twice stopped Carleton from expanding their lead, first diving to his right to rob Pedtke in 43rd minute, and then using his feet to prevent Joe Lindner from scoring in the 70th minute.
St. Olaf had a great chance to equalize in the 86th minute, but Andrew Gastineau's diving header hit the post.
The Knights' 11 wins this season matches the school record, which has been achieved by current head coach Bob Carlson three previous times, most recently a year ago.
Carleton will end the 2006 season in a tie for fourth place in the MIAC with Hamline and possibly Augsburg or St. Thomas, but missed out on the MIAC Playoffs because of the tiebreaker.
The Knights seven-game season-ending win streak mirrors last season, when Carleton went unbeaten over their last eight games, winning seven and tying one.
Since Bob Carlson took over as Carleton head coach in 1997, the Knights have reached double digits in victories in five of his ten seasons. Carlson has led the Knights to seven winning seasons over the last ten years; the program had only five over the previous 19 years. Carleton has posted a 14-2-1 record in the month of October over the past two seasons.
