After a 1-3-1 start to the season, the Gustavus Men’s Soccer team has rebounded to post a 10-4-3 overall record, including a 5-1-3 record in the MIAC.
The Gusties kept their playoff hopes alive with a 2-0 win at Hamline in St. Paul on Tuesday afternoon despite difficult conditions and a brutal wind. The win extends the Gusties’ conference unbeaten streak to seven matches (5-0-2) and moved the Gusties past Augsburg in the MIAC standings into fourth place and the final playoff spot.
After a scoreless first half, Sophomore defender Evan Odean tallied the first goal to put the Gusties on the board. Junior midfielder Doug Frey followed with a goal of his own to extend the Gusties’ lead. It was Frey’s eighth goal of the season and fourth in the last three games. Senior goalie Luke Strom kept Hamline scoreless for his sixth shutout of the season.
Despite moving past Augsburg in the MIAC standings, the Gusties have not clinched a playoff spot yet and have a pivotal matchup at Augsburg on Friday. A win would essentially secure a spot in the MIAC playoffs, while a loss would effectively knock the Gusties out of a playoff position.
“It is going to take a complete team effort to beat Augsburg. They are tough to beat on their home turf, but the way our team has been playing as of late, we have a very good chance of coming out with three huge points from that game,” goalie Luke Strom said.
“I think that if we continue to play as a team and play to our full potential, we can beat Augsburg and make it into the conference playoffs,” First-year midfielder Sean Sendelbach said.
The Gusties last made the MIAC playoffs in 2008, when they were knocked out by Augsburg in the first round.
The Gusties defeated Augsburg by a score of 1-0 last season in St. Peter, Minn., but the task of defeating Augsburg with a berth in the MIAC playoffs on the line will be a much tougher task in Minneapolis, Minn.
However, the Gusties remain confident that they can defeat Augsburg and make it to the playoffs.
“The playoffs are every team’s goal. After being knocked out last year in such unlucky fashion, it would be huge for this team, which many people had little faith in at the beginning of the season, to reach the postseason,” Strom said.
Strom, along with the six other senior soccer players on the Gustavus roster, have a bit more invested in this last game in order to prolong their last collegiate season, especially after not making the postseason last year.
“I think all of us seniors want to make our collegiate soccer careers last as long as we possibly can. One last shot in the MIAC playoffs would be a great opportunity and a chance to show off all the hard work we put in to get there again,” Strom said.
With a relatively young team, including four first-years and eight sophomores, the Gusties will do their best to extend the 2010 season.
“For me as a first-year, I am just trying to do my part and give it my all because I know it is the seniors’ last chance, and the whole team is going to fight until the last whistle to get into the playoffs,” Sendelbach said. “It would mean a lot.
The seniors on our team have been great leaders this year for us, and if we get in, it would be hard to beat us in the playoffs.”
Regardless of the result at Augsburg on Friday, the Gusties are proud of their accomplishments and have enjoyed the season.
“[I enjoyed] our long, unbeaten streak through the middle of the season. We started off slow and realized early we were going to have to go unbeaten in the MIAC to reach the playoffs. With the opportunity we have now with [one] game left, I’m really excited to see that goal come true,” Strom said.
“The most enjoyable part of the season thus far is really seeing our team come together and start playing as well as we can. It is fun to see us play such good soccer at this point in the season,” Sendelbach said.
The Gusties will have to keep their strong play going as they try and defeat Augsburg to clinch a spot in the MIAC playoffs on Friday, Oct. 30 at 7:00 p.m. in Minneapolis, Minn.