SAINT PETER, Minn. — After defeating nationally-ranked No. 12 Carleton on the road Thursday morning, the Gusties have another ranked opponent ahead of them on Saturday, making the trip back to Northfield to face St. Olaf in the MIAC championship game. The Gusties, who have gone eight games without a loss, face the regular season champion Oles (14-3-2 overall, 8-0-2 MIAC) at 1 p.m. 

GUSTIES IN THE MIAC PLAYOFFS

The MIAC Men's Soccer Playoffs began in 2003 and since then Gustavus has made 17 appearances with a record of 17-9, including a league-best seven championships. This year's playoff appearance is the seventh consecutive for Gustavus, after falling in the title game to St. Olaf 2-1 last season. The Gusties last won the league playoff in 2019 when they defeated Saint John's 6-2 in the semifinals and St. Thomas 3-1 in the championship.

THE SERIES

Thursday's game marks the 61st all-time meeting between Gustavus and St. Olaf on the soccer pitch with the Gusties holding a 25-21-14 advantage in the series. The two teams have become storied rivals in the last few years, each featured in several national polls, and matching up in last year's NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.  

LAST TIME THEY MET — GUSTIES vs. OLES

Heavy rain and lightning delays couldn't stop the Gustavus men's soccer team, who tied the MIAC-leading nationally-ranked Oles 2-2 in Northfield. The game was called after 70 minutes of play due to darkness, but the result held for the Gusties, who earned their sixth tie of the season. 

The two teams played a scoreless first half, pausing for weather delays midway through the first 45. Gustie keeper Wesley Sanders made four saves through the first frame to keep the score at 0-0. St. Olaf opened the scoring in the second half, breaking the deadlock at minute 54 to take a 1-0 lead. The Gusties didn't take long to respond, as Owen Johnson netted his second goal of the season just two minutes later. St. Olaf took the lead back once more, but a goal from Diego Paulin — the first of his collegiate career — helped the Gusties draw with the No. 11 ranked Oles.

St. Olaf outshot the Gusties 15-13, including a mark of 7-3 in shots on goal. Sanders finished with five saves between the pipes, while Johnson and Paulin accounted for all three Gustie attempts on goal.

LAST ACTION

For the second time this season, the Gustie men's soccer team and the Carleton Knights played to a 1-0 score in Northfield. This time, though, it was the Gusties who came out on top when it mattered most, defeating the nationally-ranked No. 12 Knights to advance to the MIAC Championship Saturday. Joe Flory scored the only goal of the game in the 60th minute, while Wesley Sanders stood tall in goal for the shutout. 

Both teams battled to a 0-0 deadlock at the half, with Carleton maintaining the majority of the offensive chances. The Gusties weren't without their opportunities, as a header from Jared Hecht just barely missed to the left of the Knight goal. After 45 minutes of play, Carleton outshout the Gusties 8-6 with a 3-1 advantage in shots on goal.

Halftime shifted momentum in favor of the Gusties. A corner kick began the scoring play, as Otis Anderson sent the ball into play 15 minutes into the second half. The loose ball was found by Diego Paulin in the box made his own attempt on goal. Flory was there to pick up the rebound, getting his fifth goal of the season. Gustavus nearly doubled its lead with 10 minutes later, as Hecht beat three Carleton defenders to send a through ball to Owen Johnson. Johnson weaved his way past the remaining Carleton Knight before sending a shot directly to the left corner of the goal. Johnson's tally was called off, though, as the play was deemed offsides. Battling through the final minutes of the game with only a one-goal cushion, Sanders made a number of acrobatic saves, and robbed Carleton leading scorer Ben Pennell of the equalizer with less than a minute remaining in play. 

Sanders had a sensational day between the pipes, making nine saves to post his 27th career clean sheet. After tying the program record on Monday, Sanders is now the outright owner of the most shutouts by any goalkeeper in Gustavus men's soccer history. The Gusties totaled 13 shots and four on frame. Hecht, Johnson, Paulin, and Flory each accounted for one on goal. 

SCOUTING THE GUSTIES

The Gusties finished third in the conference this year with a record of 5-2-3. Through 19 games this season, the Gusties average an even 2.00 goals per game and allow just 0.89 against. The Gusties have outshot opponents 339-170, including a mark of 155-89 in shots on goal. Hecht leads the offense with 21 points on 10 goals and one assist. Next for the Gusties is Raphael Cattelin, with 15 points on five goals and five assists. Owen Johnson leads the team in assists for the second straight season, tallying 11 so far this year. This marks the third season in a row for Johnson with double-digit assists, and the senior currently ranks third all-time for career assists (36). Johnson is six assists away from the program career record set by Matthew Gibbons' (2017-21), and three away from passing Larry Shelhamer (1972-75) for second. Wesley Sanders is the Gusties' top keeper this season, posting a goals against average of 0.83 and a save percentage of 0.821. Sanders has picked up a record of 10-2-5 in 18 games played. 

SCOUTING THE OLES

St. Olaf has posted one of its best seasons in recent years, playing the last 15 games without a loss. The team's last defeat came to No. 5 Kenyon College, a 2-0 loss on Sept. 10. All three of the Oles' losses have come from nationally ranked opponent, falling to Kenyon, No. 1 UChicago, as well as No. 24 Ohio Wesleyan early in the season. The Oles earned their eighth regular season championship with a MIAC record of 8-0-2, and boast a season-high No. 11 ranking in this week's United Soccer Coaches national poll. 

Through 19 games this season, St. Olaf is averaging 3.00 goals per game and allowing only 0.95. The Oles average 18.0 shots per game, and 8.42 on goal per game. Leading the Oles to a league-best three goals per game is Victor Gaulmin. Gaulmin has 13 goals and nine assists for 35 points this season, including both goals against Macalester on Thursday. The senior out of France is second in the MIAC in goals, tied for third in game-winners, and ranks fourth for assists. Junior Shea Bechtel is next for the Oles, totaling 23 points on eight goals and seven assists. Two more Oles have double-digit points this season (Casey McCloskey and Hakeem Morgan). Defensively, Peter Forseth has played the most time in goal, starting in 18 of 19 games for the Oles. Forseth, a junior, has made 56 saves this season for seven shutouts, a goals against average of 1.02, and a record of 13-3-2.

THE PLAYOFF FINALE

This is the third playoff matchup between the two programs, with both previous games also coming in the postseason finale. The Gusties won, 2-0, in the 2007 MIAC Playoff Championship while the Oles won last year's title, 2-1. The Oles advanced as the top seed in the playoffs with a 2-1 win over Macalester Thursday afternoon. The MIAC Playoff Champion will receive the postseason championship plaque and the conference's automatic bid to the 2023 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Tournament.

GUSTIES OUT FOR REVENGE IN REMATCH 

For the second year in a row, the Gustie and Oles will face each other in the MIAC Championship. Last season, the Oles defeated the host Gusties in Saint Peter, 2-1. Jack Knight opened the game's scoring, tallying his third of the 2022 season in the 10th minute of the game. St. Olaf's Robi Buzakovic stole the show in the second half, scoring in minutes 47 and 88 to defeat the Gusties on their home field. The visitors tallied 12 shots on goal to 10 from Gustavus. The Gusties found themselves in foul trouble in the game, suffering 15 total fouls, three yellow cards, and two red cards. 

NATIONALLY-RANKED FOES

The Gusties are 2-0-2 against nationally ranked teams this season. The team's two wins have come against conference opponents, defeating No. 18 Macalester 1-0 on Sept. 16 and most recently downing No. 12 Carleton 1-0 on Thursday. The two draws came against No. 1 UChicago, a 2-2 tie in the second game of the season, and a 2-2 tie at St. Olaf just 10 days ago. 

GLORY FOR JOE FLORY

First-year Joe Flory was the hero for the Gusties in their semifinal win over Carleton Thursday. Scoring off the rebound of Diego Paulin, Flory netted his fifth goal of the season and second game-winner, and now has 12 points this season to lead all first-year players. 

SIMPLY THE BEST, WES

With his nine saves Thursday, All-American goalkeeper Wesley Sanders posted the 27th shutout of his career, effectively passing the program record for career shutouts set by Mark Genosky (1989-92). The shutout is his seventh this season. Sanders' 27 career shutouts ranks third among all active NCAA DIII goalkeepers, and fourth among all divisions of the NCAA.