NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Carleton College men’s soccer team saw the curtain close on its season when the University of St. Thomas scored late in the overtime period, giving the visitors a 1-0 victory in the quarterfinals of the MIAC Playoffs.
“To have the finality of it was really harsh,” said Carleton head coach Bob Carson. “And to see how much it mattered to the entire team just shows how much these guys have invested in their program. I am so proud of our guys.”
The Knights (9-6-4) had collected 11 consecutive victories over the Tommies (11-6-1) dating back to the 2008 season. That run—which included three previous triumphs in the postseason—finally came to an end when St. Thomas forward Pierce Ericksen headed home a service from Matt Bouche with only 40 seconds remaining in overtime.
Tuesday’s bonus soccer was not a surprise as these teams have a history of playing tight matches decided by late scores. The last three Carleton vs. St. Thomas regular-season contests have gone to overtime, including a matchup only a week ago that Carleton won on Danny Leal’s (Jr./Rice Lake, Wis./Rice Lake) late goal.
Today, the Knights were able to keep the highest-scoring team in the MIAC in check for nearly the entire afternoon. The defensive struggle saw the two teams combine to put just one shot on goal over the first 50 minutes.
St. Thomas created a dangerous chance in the 54th minute, but Carleton goalkeeper Brandon Hilliard (So./Anoka, Minn./Totino Grace) made a pair of successive point-blank saves. After that, the game settled down again as neither side was able to muster a shot on frame until the 82nd minute.
In the overtime period, Carleton enjoyed long, sustained possessions, but it was a Tommie counterattack that was responsible for the lone tally on the scoresheet.
St. Thomas finished with a 14-8 advantage in shot attempts and took three of the four corner kicks. Hilliard registered four saves, while Grant Larson made two stops for St. Thomas.
“I thank the 10 seniors on our squad for the legacy that they left for the program. They have been champions on the field and are such quality people that it will be hard to not have them around next fall. They set a very high standard for how to conduct themselves as student-athletes.”
The Knights senior class earned four trips to the postseason, including two appearances in the NCAA Championships, as well as winning a regular-season and a post-season conference title. The group includes: Reed Cammarota (Sr./Vero Beach, Fla./Neenah); Trent Elmore (Sr./Bloomington, Ind./Phillips Exeter Academy); Tom Felton (Sr./Appleton, Wis./Appleton West); John Fox (Sr./Duluth, Minn./Marshall); Sam Hayward (Sr./Stanford, Calif./Gunn); Kurt Heise (Sr./Deerfield, Mass./Deerfield); John Imon Pedtke (Sr./Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township); Stephen Johnson (Sr./Edina, Minn./Edina); Nate Livingston (Sr./Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township); and Branden McGarrity (Sr./Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South).
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