Staff Writer- Katelyn Hoppe
Last Saturday, the Gustavus Men’s Soccer Team hosted Bethel, earning a well-fought victory with a score of 2-0. Approaching midseason, the soccer team had already won two games back-to-back prior to competing against Bethel. Despite the first half of the game with no goals by either team, the Gusties pulled through in the last 30 minutes, scoring two goals by Seniors Jack Isroff and Leo Runestad, respectively.
“My mindset going into the Bethel game was to just stay focused and ready… MIAC games are always tough to win so this game wasn’t going to come easy,” noted first-year midfielder Ethan Khamvongsouk.
Although the game started off slower than anticipated, by the end of the first half, the Gusties were able to make an impressive four shots against the Royals. Throughout the last-half of the game, Gustavus managed to shoot 17 more times, making for a total of 21 shots, and tied for most shots taken in a game for this season. Bethel made six shots against Gustavus, five of which were on goal.
Another season-high accomplishment for the Gusties was ten corner kicks, showcasing noteworthy accuracy. “I thought one of our strengths was our resilience throughout the whole game. We didn’t get to start out the way we wanted, but in the second half we raised the level and came out with a win,” Khamvongsouk commented. In addition to the increased number of shots and goals in the second-half, there were also a total of four yellow cards shown, demonstrating the high intensity of the match.
As for goals, forward Jack Isroff pulled off not only the long-awaited first goal of the game, but also his first goal of the season after a pass from sophomore forward Kieran Mahan at 59:35. With under four minutes and 36 seconds to go, senior forward Joe Flory assisted in a second goal of the game, scored by forward Leo Runestad and which secured the win. This marks Runestad’s second goal in just three games.
Other stand-out players include junior defenders Evan Afdahl, and Jacob Walker, senior defender Simon Woods and junior goalkeeper Jacob Westermark. It’s safe to say that the gloomy weather on Saturday didn’t deter the team’s electric energy and perseverance.
One of the contributing factors to the team’s success could be how connected the team is. Khamvangsouk describes it perfectly, “Being a part of this soccer team at Gustavus means a lot more than just winning games and scoring goals. It’s about showing up for each one of your teammates and taking accountability because being on a team means that your actions affect everyone. I’m grateful for getting to be around a great group of guys who would fight for each person on the team and a coaching staff who believes in every one of us.”
The team is led by Head Coach Tyler Oliver, who is in his second season as a head coach for Gustavus. Oliver has achieved both team and individual success. In his first season, the soccer team reached as high as 13 in national rankings. Additionally, in just 4 years, Oliver has coached 11 All-Conference players, nine All-Region selections, five All-Americans, and MIAC Rookie of the Year for three years consecutively.
Of course, it is difficult to not acknowledge the loyal supporters of the Gusties who still made an appearance in the stands, keeping spirits up and cheering Gustavus to victory throughout all 90 minutes, despite the weather being less than ideal.
Gustavus hasn’t lost to Bethel in men’s soccer since 2004. The Gusties’ record now sits at an exceptional 4-2-1; 2-0-0 MIAC. Gustavus is currently tied for first in the MIAC with St. Olaf and Macalester. After they face Macalester on Wednesday in St. Paul, their next match is against Augsburg this Saturday, October 3rd, returning to our home field.