Revenge was had Tuesday afternoon, as the men’s soccer team beat St. Olaf 2-0 in the first round of MIAC playoff soccer.

The win made up for the 0-3 loss the Scots suffered in Northfield only three weeks ago during regular season play.

The victory earns the men’s squad a berth in tomorrow’s MIAC championship game. The Scots will travel to St. Peter, Minn. where they will face Gustavus Adolphus, who shared this year’s MIAC title with St. Olaf.

Gustavus beat the Scots 2-1 in last year’s championship game and slid by Macalester 0-1 in double-overtime last week. A win against the Gusties would earn the team the MIAC’s automatic berth into the NCAA playoffs while a loss would end Macalester’s season.

“We should get some injuries to heal up for [Gustavus], and have our full lineup,” defender Ian Ritz ’06 said. Mac will need the extra help as the two rivals’ last three games have all been hard-fought battles.

The men’s team spent its fall break on the road, facing tough competition and preparing for the Olaf game. The long weekend included games against No. 18 Wheaton in Illinois and DePauw University in Indiana. The team fell 2-1 in OT to Wheaton and tied DePauw 3-3 after two OTs.

Forward Brenden Viele ’05 has been playing particularly well lately. He had the second goal in Tuesday’s win and scored two of Mac’s three goals in the game against DePauw.

Before the 2004 season, the Scots had won six of the past seven MIAC titles. An early season loss to St. Thomas marked the first time in four years that the Scots had suffered a conference loss. The team was disappointed at spoiling this season’s run, but hopes have been revived in post-season play.

“It has not only been disappointing but just a strange season in general,” goalie Ryan Palmer ’08 said. “But the feeling right now is very positive. Playoffs begin a new season, and with that new season we can erase everything that has happened to us thus far and advance into the national tournament.”