On a sleepy night in late September, the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire (UWEC) Blugolds came to John Leaney Field and handed the Macalester College men’s soccer team its second straight loss in dominant fashion. The Blugolds didn’t allow the Scots a single shot on goal. The Macalester squad was 5-3 and reeling. Perhaps the Scots needed a loss that night.

Since that defeat on Sept. 24, the Scots are 12-1, now winners of 10 straight. They collected their first Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Playoff Championship in over 15 years last weekend. Now, they’re headed to their first Sweet 16 since 2002.

For the first time all season, the Scots played two matches in two days. And for the first time all season, Macalester won two matches in two days. But Head Coach Gregg Olson wasn’t worried about the back-to-back.

“The quick turnaround means less physical and mental recovery,” Olson wrote in an email to The Mac Weekly. “This helps us. This season, our phrase has been that everything we are doing is ‘success by committee.’ I have no doubt that players will step up. We count on 27 to get the job done.”

The win over the Illinois Wesleyan University Titans was indeed a 27-man win from the Scots, who had their largest crowd of the season turn out for a picture-perfect late autumn afternoon.

Zach Liptzin ’27 came ready to play and pumped up the fighting fold right away with a beauty of a goal just two minutes in. From there, Mac was more than content to sit back and rely on its staunch back line, quashing the Titans’ buildups and keeping through-balls in front as the score remained 1-0 well into the second half.

Macalester needed insurance. They got it from a pair of freshmen and all but secured the first-round victory in the 76th minute. Milan Shah ’29 found Kuba Ferguson ’29 sneaking behind the Titans for the brace. They ran to the Macalester grandstand, climbing to the fence and soaking in the roar of the crowd.

“I just couldn’t believe that it got through,” Shah said. “I saw it roll, slowly, slowly, and then my only thought was to run over and be with the fans. At that moment, I thought we were going to go get a third or a fourth.”

Though the Titans found late hope after an 89th minute goal, it was too little, too late. The Scot defense was a brick wall in the backline. Drew Moseman ’27 minded the net for 90 minutes, didn’t record a save, and Mac still managed to come away with the win.

“The game ended at around 4 [p.m.], and we were back in the team room at 6:20 [p.m.] discussing our game plan for the day,” Shah said. “We all knew we had to be better for our opponent [on Sunday].”

UWEC are back-to-back champions of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Blugolds are perennial NCAA tournament participants, making it each of the last four years. They sit at No. 21 in the national rankings. Eau Claire was in the Elite Eight a year ago, three wins from a national title. It allowed less than three shots per game. It walked into Macalester’s house and rolled over them just two months ago.

Both squads came out slow on Sunday, as the first half heralded just one shot on goal for each team. The quick turnaround had both sides on the ropes.

The Scots have won largely “by committee” in 2025. But on Sunday afternoon, as dusk fell over St. Paul, the Scots needed a hero.

The offense begun with a barrage of runs and dangerous through balls.

At long last, after 62 scoreless minutes, Ondieki Maina ’26 drew a foul in the box with an elegant run down the far sideline. It was a lovely ball from Kasdan Blattman ’27 and Maina did the rest, slipping past two defenders and getting his feet taken out from under him in the process

Blattman returned the favor, calmly putting the penalty kick to the bottom left corner as the goalie lunged to the opposite side. With a half hour left to play, the Scots were so close they could taste it.

The one goal lead was a breath of fresh air, but the Blugolds ratcheted up the pressure after the deficit opened. Blattman’s penalty was a start, but the Scots knew that one wouldn’t be enough.

Sure enough, just two minutes later, the Blugolds found a man free down mainstreet off a cross and hushed the fighting fold with the equalizer.

Justin Ratner ’29 had been perfect through 60 minutes of his NCAA tournament debut, as Olson opted for his fresh legs over Moseman, who started the day before.

Tied up again with 20 to play, the Scots forced a trio of corners following the Blugold goal, shifting the momentum back to their advantage.

Then, in the 78th minute, a cross was deflected out of bounds. It was Liptzin responsible for service, but he delivered it short, finding the feet of an Eau-Claire defenseman who played it away easily.

Moments later, Maina looked to be in free on the keeper but had it poked away, earning the Scots another corner.

Liptzin again trotted over to the far side corner flag and spun the ball to rest. This time it was a soaring cross, flying high across the box and finding the head of Charles Wriedt ’27 who headed it into the scrum.

The ball landed at the left foot of Maina who blasted it home, unleashing a strike into the top shelf. Maina turned to the crowd, starting towards the shaking stands of Macalester Stadium.

But then he stopped.

He turned around, beckoned his team to follow, and ran to the opposite sideline, celebrating with his team.

It was a unique show of character and class, and it showed the love this team has for each other. It showed why the Scots are just four wins away from a national championship.

The captain, the hero of the conference championship, didn’t want to celebrate with the fans, but with his team who awaited him with open arms in the far corner.

That moment encapsulated everything which makes this Macalester team special. It represents all of that which people love most about sports. It plays by committee, next man always up, with an emphasis on depth and community.

Their sectional matchup is in Northfield, Minn. on Saturday, Nov. 22, where St. Olaf College will be hosting two matches this weekend, with Macalester facing Wheaton College (Mass.) and St. Olaf taking on Williams College (Mass.).

If both Minnesota sides take care of business, they’ll earn a rematch of the MIAC Playoff Championship game in the Elite Eight. A trip to the Final Four — which the Scots have never reached — would be on the line. If the Scots find a way to win two this weekend, they’ll be in uncharted territory.

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