North Park University - Holmgren Athletic Complex
Tournament Bracket
Live Stats
Live Video
WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The 10th-ranked Otterbein men's soccer team will resume its journey in the NCAA Division III Tournament in the sectional semifinals against No. 4 St. Thomas (MN).
The third-round matchup between the Cardinals and the Tommies will take place on Saturday at 1:30 p.m (CT) at the host site North Park University's Holmgren Athletic Complex in Chicago, Ill. North Park, ranked fifth in last week's national poll, will open the day of play against Washington & Lee at 11 a.m. (CT).
The winners of both third-round games will advance to the sectional finals Sunday at 1 p.m. (CT). All game times are Central Standard Time.
Otterbein (19-2 overall) advanced to the third round of the national tournament after hosting the first two rounds of play at Memorial Stadium this past weekend, notching wins over Medaille (2-0) and No. 13 Kenyon (3-2).
The Cardinals, currently on a 17-game winning streak, are a well-balanced group on both sides of the ball with seven players having totaled 11 or more points on the year. As the top defense in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) this season (0.73), Otterbein has posted 11 shutouts while allowing more than one goal just three times.
Sophomore
Kennedy Mensah currently leads the Cards with 21 points on 10 goals and one assist, while 10 other players have scored at least two goals. Six different players for Otterbein have accounted for the team's eight goals this postseason, with senior
Jaden Lunger and sophomore
Pau Piang having assisted on two of those scores.
Sophomore goalkeeper
Collin Hoffmann has been a key cog in the Cards continuing their winning ways, posting a 0.73 goals-against average to accompany 83 saves and an .847 save percentage with a 19-2 mark between the posts. Otterbein is 6-2 away from its home field this season.
The Tommies (21-1 overall) are riding an 18-game winning streak after outlasting Wisconsin-Superior 4-3 in their opening-round contest, before topping Loras 1-0 in the second round.
St. Thomas is similar to Otterbein in several stat categories including a perfect 10-0 mark during regular-season play in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). The Tommies also hosted the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament, helping boost their undefeated home record to 13-0.
The Tommies have six players with at least 10 points this season, including three with more than 20, with seniors Justin Oliver and Shae Bottum leading the way. Oliver has 36 points on 16 goals and four assists, while Bottum has scored eight goals along with a team-best 14 assists.
Junior goalkeeper Aidan Hogan has also been stellar between the posts with a 0.58 goals-against average along with 44 saves on a .786 save percentage. St. Thomas is 8-1 away from home field this year.
Ticket prices for the two-day tournament are as follows:
Adults - $6
Students - $3
Children - $2
