Gustavus Men’s Soccer team maintains playoff hopes with win over Luther and three MIAC games remaining

The Gustavus Men’s Soccer team scored a thrilling 1-0 double overtime victory on Sunday afternoon against Luther College. The team was able to even its record at 6-6-3 with only three games remaining in the Conference schedule before the MIAC playoffs. Even though the victory doesn’t come against a Conference rival, it gives the Gusties motivation for their final three games of the regular season.
Sophomore Mark Adams scored the game-winning goal against Luther in the 108th minute. “We had a corner kick, and [the ball] got knocked around in the box a little bit. I was standing right in front of the goalie and flicked it past the goalie with only two minutes left,” Adams said.

The Gusties were one of the preseason favorites to contend for the Conference title this year. However, the season has been somewhat of a disappointment so far, as they are currently in 7th place in the MIAC standings. Nevertheless, the Men’s Soccer team still has a chance to make the Conference playoffs.

“We have three games left, but most of the teams in front of us in the Conference standings only have two games left so we can gain some ground,” Adams said. “If we win our remaining three games, we should be able to make the Conference tournament.”

With the season winding down and every victory critical in order to make the post-season, the Gusties have a vital match-up at Bethel today. Not only is Bethel three places in front of Gustavus in the standings, Bethel also only has two Conference games remaining on its schedule. With only a four-point differential between the two teams in the standings, the Gusties can gain ground with a victory this Friday. “I know that Bethel is a hard working team, and they play consistently for 90 minutes,” Adams said. “Hopefully we can score an early goal and play tough defense on them. Last year we were able to beat them pretty handily, but [it] will be a tough game.”

The Gusties will conclude their Conference schedule with home games against Hamline and Augsburg. These final three games will be pivotal in determining if the Gusties are able to continue their season in the MIAC playoffs.