NORTHFIELD, Minn. — Charlie Hall's (Sr./La Grange, Ill./Lyons Township) goal only 48 seconds into the game proved to be the difference as the No. 2-seeded Carleton College men's soccer team earned a 1-0 victory over No. 5 seed Macalester College in the MIAC Playoffs semifinal. With the win, the Knights advance to the MIAC Playoffs championship game to be played at top-seeded St. Olaf College on Saturday.
 
"First, congrats to Macalester on a terrific season," said Carleton head coach Bob Carlson. "They are talented and very well coached with a relentless work rate. It took everything for us to grit it out for 90 minutes."
 

The Knights (12-3-2, 8-2-0 MIAC) came out of the gates blazing, putting early pressure on the back line of the Scots (9-9-1, 5-4-1 MIAC). Less than a minute into the contest, senior Tarek Bos-Shadi (Kankakee, Ill./Bradley Bourbonnais) got past a defender into the left corner, from where he sent a cross. The ball was deflected by a Macalester defender right to the feet of Tonny Aton (Sr./Nairobi, Kenya/Lukenya), who slid a pass out to the right. That allowed the unmarked Hall to run onto it for the one-timer that gave Carleton the 1-0 lead. It was Hall's fourth goal of the season.
 
While Hall's tally would be the only one of the match, the Knights had two fantastic chances to extend their lead in the first half. In the 25th minute, Justin Crawmer (Jr./Urbandale, Iowa/Waukee) made a strong run towards the goal and dished it in front to Aton, who's shot missed high. Five minutes later, Hall twisted his body and got off a beautiful cross, finding the head of Crawmer, who got the ball into the net. Unfortunately, that play called back due to two Knights being offsides.
 
The energy was turned up by both teams in the second half, but the chances were not as strong. Blake Jones (Fy./Urbandale, Iowa/Waukee) and Hall put shots on net in the 70th and 84th minutes, respectively, but both were saved by Macalester's Cade Fink.
 
Macalester finished with 10 shots in the contest—compared to 13 for Carleton—but the Knights' defense limited the visitors to only one shot on goal all afternoon. That attempt was a laser from Omar Anwar off a set piece in the 81^st minute, but it was handled nicely by Carleton keeper Alexei Thomas (Jr./Northwood, United Kingdom/Merchant Taylors School), who registered his ninth win and fifth shutout of the campaign in net.
 
"Our back four were exceptional and our center midfielders played the entire 90 minutes,  defending with tenacity and finding the right moments to keep vital possession for us," Carlson said. "We'll recover quickly and get ready for an outstanding St. Olaf team. Thanks and congrats to every player on our roster. I know they are eager to get back to work tomorrow."
 
Up Next For the Knights
 
Carleton will make the short trek across the Cannon River for a rematch against top-seeded St. Olaf, which went undefeated in conference play and is ranked first in the region No. 12 in the latest United Soccer Coaches' national poll. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6 with the MIAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Championships at stake.
 
Fans attending the MIAC Playoff Finals should keep in mind that parking will be extremely limited. The St. Olaf campus will also be hosting the Minnesota High School Cross Country Championships on Saturday. MIAC Playoffs tickets are $10 for general admission and $2 for students with ID.
 
St. Olaf has won 15 straight games, while Carleton is riding a 7-game win streak of its own. The Knights' last loss came at the hands of Oles back on Oct. 2. That game was 1-1 until the 82nd minute until St. Olaf notched the eventual game-winner then tacked on a third goal with three seconds remaining after Carleton had pushed everyone forward seeking the equalizer.