Staff Writer- Maddie Low
With fresh new faces and a team full of talent, Gustavus’ Women’s Soccer kicked off the 2026 season with impressive performances in their first three games. The team had been building up anticipation and excitement since they first reunited in late August. Beginning practices on the 19th, they have had a lot of time to prepare.
On September 1st, the team played their first game of the season at home against UW-River Falls and though they did not leave the opener with a win, it seemed to only drive them forward. Their next game on September 5th was played in Lincoln, Nebraska against Illinois College. The Gusties did not disappoint, playing out a beautiful 2-1 win on the road. The team played a tight first half against Nebraska Wesleyan and a heavily fouled game but rounded it out 1-1 by the end. “On the road definitely brings a different energy. Not knowing the majority of the fans is sometimes fun, it creates a different atmosphere and allows me to perform under a different set of pressure,” Senior goalkeeper Katelyn Olson explained.
The match against UW-River Falls opened with a bang with a goal in the first six minutes. Freshman Julia Davis fired off a 45 yard goal that hit off the crossbar and dropped just past the goal line.
“After my goal against River Falls, there is no doubt I was on a high the rest of the day. Coming in as a freshman and scoring the first goal of the season is something I’m very proud of and I hope to contribute more as we go on,” Davis said.
Gustavus dominated the first half with nine shots, but unfortunately it ended up not being enough. In the second half, UW-River Falls pulled through with an early goal and an unlucky bounce near the 85th minute mark which gave the crowd a devastating loss for the Gusties. Though, the game was not without its suspenseful moments as both Davis and junior Lauren Coy fired off two shots each, leading the team.
“Although I do wish we had won the game, I was overall pleased with how the team performed considering it was our first game of the season,” Davis added.
Against Illinois College, the Gustavus Women got the win they had been looking for. The Gusties absolutely overpowered Illinois with 13 of their 27 shots reaching the net, while only three of Illinois’ 7 came close. The first goal scored by junior Amara Easley came during the 9th minute of the game after a pass from junior midfielder Kate Hamski, and it was only up from there as each shot after built continuous pressure on the Lady Blues. Though that goal would be the only one in the first 45 minutes, the Gusties continued to press on. In the second half, Easley found herself positioned one-on-one against Illinois goalkeeper, where she found the bottom left corner and secured a strong lead for Gustavus. While Illinois did end up scoring a sole goal in the midst of the second half, they couldn’t find any better footing than that against the Gustavus women.
In the tied game against Nebraska Wesleyan, while it may not have been what they anticipated, it was not without its merit. Freshman Luci Chastey scored her first goal as a Gustie in the 68th minute.
“It was definitely a little disappointing to not end the trip on a win, but overall it was a really fun weekend,” Chastey said.
Olson made six impressive saves to keep Gustavus in the game.
“So far, the most difficult opponent we’ve faced has been Nebraska Wesleyan. This is mostly because when we played them, it was day two of being out in the humidity over there and that most definitely took a toll on our bodies.” Davis said.
The game was played passionately, which can be seen from the sheer number of fouls for both teams. The Prairie Wolves racked up five and the Gusties had four. The Gustavus team left Nebraska with a strong impression of the determination and grit that can be expected from these exceptional ladies. As for the team themselves, they are full of drive moving into the rest of this season and have felt incredible support from everyone around them.
As Olson said, “I think this is the best we’ve looked as a collective in my time here and I am super pumped for the energy and determination this group has. We are super close and everyone is willing to push each other to the next level.” She continues, “I love the support of our fans at home- the Men’s Soccer team, our parents, classmates, and faculty.”
They’ll play another away game Wednesday night in Wisconsin against UW-La Crosse. Their next home game will be against the Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders on Saturday September 12th at 1:00pm and following that will be their game against St. Olaf, Wednesday September 16th at 4:00pm right here at home. This team of unbelievably talented young women is building up to have a spectacular season, filled with an electric energy you won’t want to miss.