ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Carleton College men’s soccer team saw its 2017 campaign come to an end with a 1-0 setback at Macalester College in the quarterfinal round of the MIAC Playoffs.
The Knights (10-8-1) were making their 11th consecutive visit to the postseason, but the attack struggled to find its rhythm all game. Macalester (11-5-2) finished with a slight 11-10 edge in shot attempts.
The only goal of the match came in the 56th minute, when the Scots’ Clayton Smith headed home a Jake Burke free kick from the top corner of the box.
In the closing minutes of the second half, the Knights put everything on the line in search of an equalizer, but David Rubin’s (Fy./Ann Arbor, Mich./Greenhills) 85th-minute blast from the top of the box deflected wide off a Macalester defender and Mark Roth’s (Jr./Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) effort in the 87th minute sailed high. There would be no season-saving strike for Carleton as the hosts ran down the clock to end the contest.
Brandon Hilliard (Anoka, Minn./Totino Grace) tallied six saves on the day, and his 87th minute Manuel Neuer-esque clearance on Max Kent’s breakaway kept the Knights in the game.
The game marked the final appearances of four Carleton seniors: Hilliard, Stephen Baisch (Williamstown, Mass./Deerfield Academy), Jack Lightbody (Etna, N.H., Hanover), and Aidan Mullan (Iowa City, Iowa/Regina).
Macalester goes on to play No. 5-ranked St. Thomas in the semifinals on Wednesday.
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