On TapMacalester takes a week off from Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play with a non-conference game, Saturday, at Wisconsin-Superior. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
The Scots find themselves back in the regional rankings this week, the third time they've been ranked by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America this season, at number nine in the North Region. The Yellowjackets are also ranked regionally, checking in at 10th in the region.
RecordsMacalester, 8-5-2 overall, 4-3-1 MIAC (13 pts, tie 3rd place)
UW-Superior, 9-5-1 overall, 2-1-1 WIAC (7 pts, 1st place)
When Last We MetThe Yellowjackets invaded Macalester Stadium last season, Sept. 13, 2013, and were defeated, 2-0 by the Scots, who got second-half goals from
Will Matsuda in the 57th minute and
Will Mackaman, who scored in the 71st minute.
UW-Superior had a 17-13 advantage in shots but managed just two shots on goal while Macalester had four shots on goal. The Yellowjackets also had a 14-3 advantage in corner kicks, including a 10-1 advantage in the game's final 45 minutes.
Following the ScotsLive video and stats will be available via UW-Superior's feed. The video will be available at
http://www.ifan.tv/page/show/872601-channel-3 while the live stats will be at
http://www.sidearmstats.com/uwsuper/msoc/.
He's the BossGregg Olson is in his third season at the helm of the Macalester men's soccer team. During his time as the Scots' mentor, he has put together a 20-26-5 record.
In his second year with the program, Olson's squad doubled its win total from four to eight, having gone 4-13-1 in 2012 before posting an 8-8-2 mark last season.
Prior to being named the head coach at Macalester, Olson was an assistant coach at Stanford for four seasons and served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Vermont, for six seasons.
A four-year starter for the Catamounts, and a 2000 graduate of Vermont, Olson was a team captain as a senior and graduated with degrees in English and Geography. The Rockford, Ill., native was a three-time winner of the team's Donoson Fitzgerald Award for perseverance, integrity and sportsmanship. After graduating from college, Olson spent two seasons playing semi-professionally before beginning his coaching career.
Mac MusingsZeke Vainer posted his sixth and seventh shutouts of the season last week, which leads all league goalkeepers. Vainer made four saves in a scoreless tie with Carleton before making seven saves, Saturday, in a 1-0 win over 25th-ranked Gustavus Adolphus. With the two shutouts, Vainer now has a consecutive scoreless streak of 233:59, which he has put together against three of the top four teams in the conference standings (St. Olaf, Carleton and Gustavus Adolphus). In all games, he leads the conference in minutes (1397:35), save percentage (.829) and shutouts (7).
With eight wins and two ties on the season, Macalester has guaranteed at least a .500 regular season for the second consecutive year.
Austin Burrows' goal in Saturday's win snapped a six-game goal-scoring drought for the Scots' leading scorer. He is tied for sixth in goals (6) and eighth in scoring (15) in all games among MIAC players.
Alan Schembri-Wismayer is the MIAC leader with eight assists, the most by a Macalester player since Martin Oppenheimer had 10 in 2001.
The Race is OnWith six teams advancing to the MIAC playoffs this season, nine team are still mathematically in contention.
The Scots, tied for third, are one of three MIAC teams who have played eight games. The teams with one game in hand include Carleton and Gustavus Adolphus, with which Macalester is tied with 13 points, and Augsburg and St. Thomas, both three points back.
League-leading St. Olaf can wrap up at least a share of the MIAC regular-season title with three points and face St. Thomas, Saturday.
Up NextThe Scots conclude the regular-season next week with a pair of home games versus the 10th- and 11th-place teams in the conference standings, hosting Concordia, next Tuesday, at 7:30 p.m., before the regular-season finale, next Saturday, versus St. Mary's at 7:30 p.m.
