Tuesday afternoon in a rainy game on their home pitch, the Gustavus Women’s Soccer team earned their first win since Sept. 15 off of two second-half goals.
This brings the Gusties’ record to 5-7-1 overall with a 2-4-1 conference record, while the Cardinals fall to 5-8 overall with a 0-7 MIAC record.
“Soccer was made for these conditions. It was such a fun game to watch, coach, and play in. We moved the ball well, had some creative moments, and had a lot of dangerous opportunities created by a variety of players. It was great to be able to show our depth today. We’ve been working on consistency and staying engaged and we did that well for a full 90 minutes. I’m really proud to get that win and get the shutout as well,” Head Coach Laura Burnett-Kurie said.
“It was such a fun game to watch, coach, and play in.”
—Coach Burnett-Kurie
At the 55th minute, after a scoreless first-half, a shot from Senior Emily Skogseth wasblocked by St. Mary’s keeper, but Junior Abby Mullenbach hit in the rebound for a 1-0 lead.
The game remained 1-0 until the 74th minute when Senior Chase Miller tapped a through ball to Skogseth, who made a quick move past the goalkeeper and was not be denied again.
First-year Abby Goodno got her 10th start in net on the season and racked up her fourth win by allowing no goals and making eight saves.
Going six games in a row without a win (five losses and one tie) was certainly not ideal for the Gusties, however they are staying positive, and this win will fuel them as they take on the next stretch.
“Our team has really high-energy coming off of this win. I’m really proud of my teammates for having a stellar game. It’s fun to see Emily Skogseth be a tremendous leader on the field, for one, but also just seeing all the other girls buy in as well. We have a lot going for us as we take on the next few games,” Senior Kylie Lamberty said.
This win energizes the team as they move toward their goal of making the MIAC playoffs, but they’re not losing sight of the short-term either.
“We’re really excited for this win and we’re hoping to carry this momentum through the rest of our games to achieve our goal of earning a bid for the MIAC playoffs. That definitely motivates us as we take it game-by-game to get there,” Skogseth said.
The closeness of the team is a huge factor in their energy and positivity.
“We love to have fun out there. We have really good comradery with our team, and have been working hard to make sure we improve every week.”
—Trina Rinke
The Gusties will next be in action on Saturday when they head up to St. Joseph, Minn. to take on Saint Benedict for a 1 p.m. contest.