The Gustavus Men’s Soccer Team concluded a tremendous 2017 season last Wednesday. The Gusties finished second in the MIAC at the conclusion of the regular season and enjoyed a first round bye going into the MIAC playoffs.
Despite beating Macalester the previous Saturday, the Scots came out on top in a 1-0 decision in the MIAC semifinal match.
“A really good performance from the players today, they were top-class. I’m not sure there was a lot more we could have done. We dominated the game for large swathes, and even though I may be biased I thought we looked the much better team,” Head Coach Mike Middleton said.
On what turned out to be a brisk fall day, the Gusties had trouble putting together steady offensive pressure in the first half despite controlling the ball and pace of play. The Scots outshot the Gusties 9-3 and were able to score in the 29th minute which proved to be the difference in the game.
Despite trailing at halftime, the Gusties remained confident and came out strong in the second half. The team earned three straight corner kicks, but failed to capitalize on these opportunities. Although they outshot the Scots 3-1 in the second half, the Macalester defense remained strong.
“Macalester have proved to be a team that is very tough to break down. 1-0 down at half-time, I was certain that we would get back into the game. However, they did a good job breaking up the play, and managed to hold on right to the end,” Middleton said.
“A really good performance from the players today, they were top class. I’m not sure there was a lot more we could have done.” — Coach Middleton
Although the season didn’t end how the Gusties would’ve hoped, the season was still a huge success. Finishing with a record of 13-6, the Gusties earned their best finish in the MIAC since 2014.
“I’m very proud of the lads today: they were terrific. We didn’t get what we deserved, and it’s a sad way to go out. We finished second in the conference, and it was great to host, and we showed we fully deserved to be in that position. I don’t think we have a chance of an at large bid, which is a great shame, as we are a team that is playing well and could have done some damage. This result is a bitter pill to swallow at the moment,” Middleton said.
During the 2017-2018 season, Junior Arthur Parens led the Gusties with 27 points, the second most in the MIAC. Goalie Matthew Bateman held opponents to just 0.97 goals per game, which was the fourth best in the MIAC, and tallied 72 saves on the season (second in MIAC). Six of Bateman’s saves came in the semifinal game against Macalester, including a huge block on a free kick in the second half that kept the Gusties within one goal.
The Gusties will graduate four seniors this year: John Anderson, Matt Murakami, Alex Wilson, and Bradley Williams. While the seniors will be missed next fall, a large contingent of underclassmen including the top two points leaders from this season will look to continue on this year’s success.