SALEM, Va. – In a hard-fought championship game that took overtime to decide, the Amherst College men's soccer team fell just short of a national title as St. Olaf College emerged from 110 minutes of play with a 2-1 win to capture the NCAA Division III Championship on Sunday afternoon at Kerr Stadium on the campus of Roanoke College.

The Mammoths conclude the season at 17-3-4, collecting the national runner-up trophy for the third time in the last four seasons, with the loss ending a 13-game unbeaten streak for the NESCAC champions, while the MIAC champion Oles won their first national title with a final record of 20-3-3 to cap a 22-game unbeaten run.

"I am just so proud of these guys and this team and this community and all the support that we constantly get," said Amherst head coach Justin Serpone. "We're disappointed, but I think we have pretty good perspective about what Amherst soccer means, the fact that our friendships will last forever."

Senior midfielder Wyatt McCarthy, junior forward Fynn Hayton-Ruffner, junior defender Simon Kalinauskas and junior midfielder Niall Murphy were named to the All-Tournament Team.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

* Amherst took a 1-0 lead in the 49th minute. First-year Luka Ohadike, who started the second half after an injury to NESCAC Rookie of the Year Mohammed Nuhu at the end of the first 45 minutes, settled a ball at his feet with his back to two St. Olaf defenders out on the left flank. He spun to his right using his left foot to drag the ball with him, and raced into the St. Olaf box, ripping a left-footed shot to his right that just beat a sliding St. Olaf defense and goalkeeper to score the second goal of his collegiate career, both of which came in this season's NCAA Tournament.

* St. Olaf began to create scoring chances after that goal, with Robi Buzakovic having the most immediate chance when he ripped a shot along the ground from just outside the box that curled just wide on the left post.

* St. Olaf tied the game with 28:42 remaining. Casey McCloskey slotted a ball through space – and two Mammoths – that Hakeem Morgan ran onto at the far left of the Mammoths' box. At a difficult angle, Morgan struck the ball back to his right. Amherst goalkeeper Max Landa got a fingertip on the shot but its momentum sent it crashing into the far right post and it careened into the goal.

* Ohadike nearly put the Mammoths ahead with 8:30 remaining when he turned toward the goal, sped past a defender and into the top right of the box and ripped a shot that just sailed over the crossbar.

* With just under seven minutes remaining, Amherst junior defender Ben Clark-Eden had a chance from the St. Olaf box, but his shot was blocked by a defender.

* As time in regulation ran down, the Mammoths had two corner kick opportunities kicking from right to left, but neither resulted in a shot, the second one coming as the clock ran out.

* Just 1:08 into the overtime period, St. Olaf would score the eventual game-winner. Shea Bechtel made a run into the Mammoths box and slotted a ball between two Mammoth defenders that a speeding McCloskey ran onto, creating a one-on-one opportunity with Landa. McCloskey slid a shot just past the outstretched dive of Landa and into the goal for a 2-1 lead.

* The Mammoths nearly answered 86 seconds later. All-American forward Ada Okorogheye made a beautiful move to get past a defender, cutting into the bottom lower-left corner of the St. Olaf box and drawing the goalkeeper toward him. He then slid a perfect pass out to the cetner of the box to the foot Hayton-Ruffner, but Hayton-Ruffner's one-time right-footed shot sailed just over the empty goal.

* Near the end of the first 10 minutes of overtime, Ignacio Cubeddu had a direct kick from 35 yards out on the right flank. He sailed it into the six but St. Olaf goalkeeper Peter Forseth was able to leap over Kalinauskas and snare the ball before he could get his head on it.

BY THE NUMBERS:

* The Mammoths finished the game with a 20-13 advantage in shots. Shots were even at 6-6 at halftime before the Mammoths held an 8-5 edge in the second half and a 6-2 advantage over the two overtime periods.

* Shots on goal were 5-4 in favor of the Oles. Landa and Forseth each made three saves in their respective goals.

* Amherst held a 10-4 advantage in corner kicks.