Staff Writer- Alayna Boe
The Gustie Women’s Soccer team stayed on The Hill this weekend and competed hard against two teams on Saturday and Sunday; Sept. 20th, and 21st, 2025. Both games ended in 1-1 ties, but the fight did not lapse during these games. On Saturday, Gustavus faced off against St. Scholastica, and it was a hard-fought game. The Gusties had 28 shots compared to the Saints’ 15. Though there were almost double the shots, the women could not find a gap in the net until the 55th minute of the game. First-year student Tessa Zachmann scored the only goal for this game, but the game was hard fought by all members of the team. Sunday’s game ended the same way, in a 1-1 tie, but this time against Nebraska Wesleyan. Zachmann was the only scorer in this game as well, but in the 77th minute, to tie the game. Similar to Saturday, Gustavus outshot the opposing team with 7 shots on goal compared to the Prairie Wolves’ 4.
Saturday saw fair weather while the Gustavus women battled it out on the field. The field saw a lot of action with a total of 20 shots on goal. Gustavus had 14 of those shots while St. Scholastica had a mere 6. Though the shots were outnumbered to favor the Gusties, the final score was a tie at 1-1. Gustavus got on the board first, but not until over halfway through the game. Ten minutes into the second half of the game, Zachmann scored the single goal for the Gustavus team. This goal put the Gusties up 1-0, but that lead was not held for long. In a short 3 minutes, the Saints responded to the goal, and the game was then tied at 1-1. There were no further goals during this game, so the final was a tie between Gustavus Adolphus College and the College of St. Scholastica.
Sunday’s game had the same fate as Saturday’s. The game between Gustavus Adolphus College and Nebraska Wesleyan was the first between the two teams in seven years. The last time they faced off, Gustavus took the win with a 1-0 victory, but this time that was not the case. The Gusties fell to a 0-1 deficit early in the second half, but quickly recovered and tied the game up in the 77th minute.
Zachmann scored the lone goal in this game as well, making her the only scorer of the weekend. Senior Haillee Wilson set Zachmann up for this goal with an amazing cross through the penalty area out of the right corner. This set Zachmann with an opportunity, and she took advantage of that. There were a total of 11 shots on the goal, and Gustavus led the shots totalling to 7. Even though the result was not what the Gustavus team would have wanted, they still fought hard and played without faltering in their performance.
The top scorer of this weekend, Zachmann, is a midfielder. She is new to her position as she came into college as a defender, but she is falling into that role quickly and fiercely. “We had so many great chances all game, and so it felt rewarding to put the ball away,” Zachmann said.
Before a game, Zachmann does not get frantic, but rather stays calm and hangs out with the team, listening to music in the locker room. She saves her energy for the field, and it is a prominent aspect of her game. The team is one of the main reasons Zachmann came to Gustavus because of its competitive, yet kind and friendly atmosphere: “I could not be more grateful to be a part of such an amazing team that is always uplifting.” Zachmann is only a First-year student, so she has a lot of time to develop her midfield ability. She is surrounded by great upperclassmen, teammates, and coaches to help her achieve her aspirations within the next few years.
After a weekend of ties, the Gusties are looking forward to facing the College of Saint Benedict this Saturday at home. The Gusties faced the Bennies last October and are looking for a different result than last. The soccer team is going to be coming off of a Wednesday game, but Saturday is a good time to show what they have and their competitive nature with not only the opposing team, but with each other. The team continues to push each other to their best. The home-field advantage will hopefully pay off this Saturday. Go Gusties!