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CHICAGO, Ill. – The 10th-ranked Otterbein men's soccer team's magical run to the NCAA D3 Tournament came to an end Saturday afternoon after a 3-0 loss to fourth-ranked St. Thomas (MN) in a Sweet 16 matchup at North Park University.

The Cardinals, who captured both the Ohio Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships after going undefeated through both, finish the season 19-3 overall in the program's first national tournament appearance since 2002.

The Windy City treated both teams to a classic Chi-Town climate at the Holmgren Athletic Complex, as snowy, blustery conditions ravaged the field during warmups and through the first 20 minutes of action.

St. Thomas got on the scoreboard early with the game's first score in the 11th minute, when Shae Bottum was awarded a free kick for the Tommies following a foul on the Cardinals.

Bottum stepped up for his ninth goal of the gear in bending a hooking free kick to the upper left side of the Cardinal goal from 35 yards out, slipping the shot past a leaping host of players in the box.

The Tommies increased their lead to 2-0 midway through the 30th minute, as Bottum was on the assisting end after placing a through ball into the Cardinal box before Will Kidd promptly struck the ball past a diving Collin Hoffmann.

St. Thomas held a distinct 13-3 advantage in shots at halftime, while Otterbein's best look of the frame came on a shot launched high from well outside the Tommies' box off the foot of junior Erick Juarez-Manning.

The Tommies inflated their lead to 3-0 just over 11 minutes into the second half, scoring off another well-placed pass on the ground into the Cardinal box before it was sent in by Christian Elliehause.

Otterbein managed to unload six shots in the period with perhaps the best opportunity coming from sophomore Kennedy Mensah with just over 20 minutes remaining as St. Thomas goalkeeper Aidan Hogan came up far in the box to stifle the attempt.

Hoffmann finished the game with a match-best five saves in his first loss between the posts in 17 tries, as the Cards' program-high win streak was stopped at 17-straight.

The match was also the final one in the collegiate career of seniors Jaden Lunger, Blake Steenrod, Nick Snabes, Gavin Koerner, Kyle Kmech, Jonny Henesy, Mack Stamper, Nate Norris, and Noah Coons.

St. Thomas advances to its second-straight Elite Eight appearance, having reached the Final Four a year ago, and will take on host and fifth-ranked North Park on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. (CST).