Staff Writer- Nathan Swanson

The Gustavus Men’s Soccer team found success this past weekend, as they faced the Saints of St. Scholastica and finished the match with a resounding 6-1 victory. Many things were going right for the Gusties in the game, and the team continued to play efficiently and with poise. There was a strong distribution of scoring during the game, and it highlighted the team’s ability to play as one and find strength in each other. While the goals came early, the Gusties never backed down and continued to keep the pressure up on St. Scholastica. Gustavus’s offense seemed to get to their spots where they wanted to attack, and their defense was intrusive. It helped shut down the Saints and their offensive attack. Overall, there were positive outcomes to take away from the afternoon.

Within the first 10 minutes of the conference contest, the Gusties had already found the back of the net twice, with two goals both by First-year forward Kieran Mahan. The first goal by Mahan, scored a little over 5 minutes in, was assisted by Junior defender Sam Kaeding. The second goal from Mahan was assisted by Kaeding and Junior defender Simon Woods. It didn’t take long before Gustavus would score two more goals from Junior forward Joe Flory. Flory’s first goal was assisted by Mahan and Senior defender Spencer Skjeldstad. His second goal was assisted by Junior defender Diego Paulin. With those two goals against St. Scholastica, Flory is up to 7 goals, 16 points, and 16 shots in seven matches so far this season. When asked about the team’s excellent output on Saturday, Flory expressed that there was a lot to be happy about.

“It’s always rewarding to be able to score points for the team. Kieran and I have had a great partnership this season, and we seem to bring out the best in each other. We’ve combined for many goals this year.”
St. Scholastica would score and get themselves on the board later with their first and only goal of the game in the 52nd minute. Gustavus, however, would add to their points with another goal ten minutes later by Junior defender Reid Wolf. With the score now 5-1, the Gusties would add another point with a goal at the 75th minute by Junior defender Joe Morri. Gustavus would end the match, 6-1.

It seemed like all facets of the team were clicking during Saturday’s match, and it showed in the way in which the Gusties were able to score, as well as defend. There was plenty of pace with their attack, and they did a solid job of moving the ball around the pitch. Whether it was from a full rush or high pressure at St. Scholastica’s end, Gustavus had few problems with getting the ball to high-leverage scoring opportunities. Defensively, they limited opportunities for St. Scholastica, and it never felt like the Saints were comfortable with the pressure that the Gusties were throwing at them defensively. As the game progressed and the Gusties increased their goals, it helped to put more tension on St. Scholastica and made it difficult for them to find chances to chip away at the lead.

With an impressive output on Saturday, the Men’s Soccer team continues to build on confidence and looks to keep making positive strides forward.

Describing what stood out to him from the game on Saturday, Flory mentioned “how much better our team has become at scoring goals. We have so many people capable of scoring at any time.”
This advantage stood out well in their match against St. Scholastica. They knew that they could score, and it turned out that the offensive output would be coming from much of the team. While it was a successful weekend, the team knows that there are always things that can be improved and tightened up.

“We just need to make sure we compete at the level required for a whole 90 minutes. Instead of just having numerous good spells throughout a game,” said Flory.

As the team continues forward, they continue to build upon their success and work to make the most of their skill and opportunities. “I’d describe our team as very talented. We can beat anyone on our day. If we can play our best stuff in November, we will be a real handful for any team in the country.”