NCAA D-III Tourney Bracket
Selection Show
NORTHFIELD, Minn. – To be the best, you have to beat the best.
That's the motto taken by the Grinnell College men's soccer team entering the NCAA Division III Tournament this weekend. The Pioneers travel to Northfield, Minn., to face top-ranked St. Olaf College in a regional semifinal match Saturday. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m.
Grinnell is no stranger to beating highly-touted teams. The Pioneers, who entered the Midwest Conference Tournament as the third seed, shut out both second-seeded Illinois College and top-seeded Luther College en route to winning the title. The penalty kick shootout victory over Luther gave Grinnell its first MWC Tourney crown and NCAA Tourney berth since 2009.
Grinnell enters the tournament with a 14-4-2 mark and riding a four-match shutout streak. The victory total matches the school record for Grinnell, as does the mark of 11 shutouts.
The Pioneers' offense has been sparked by
Samuel Gojjam '27, who holds the school record for career games played. He has 10 goals and 11 assists, while
Jake Lu '30 has eight goals and seven assists. Keeper
Jack Alexander '29 owns a 14-4-2 mark and 0.63 goals against average as well as .797 save percentage. He has eight solo shutouts on the season.
St. Olaf is 17-0-4 on the season and advanced with a penalty kick shootout over 22
nd-ranked Saint John's University in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament.
Jack Soares has 10 goals and two assists for the Oles, while Ryan Bechtel has three goals and 11 assists. Beckett Carlson is 17-0-4 as the keeper with a 0.63 goals against average and .806 save percentage.
The winner of Saturday's contest will play either the University of Wisconsin-Superior or Loras College on Sunday.
