SAINT PETER, Minn. — Fresh off their first regular season loss since 2021, the Gustavus men's soccer team had no easy task in front of them in their second conference game of the season. A storied rival, Macalester entered Saturday's game as the only other nationally-ranked MIAC team, sitting at No. 18 in this week's United Soccer Coaches Poll. It seemed the two powerhouses were going to battle to a draw, but
Owen Johnson (Apple Valley, Minn.) scored late into the game to get his team back on the winning track for a 1-0 Gustie victory.
Both teams played deadlocked at 0-0 for 88 minutes until Johnson broke the scoring silence.
Otis Anderson (Minneapolis, Minn.) started the offensive play, sending a ball to an attacking
Raphael Cattelin (Edina, Minn.) in the box. Cattelin placed a perfect cross back to Anderson, who rifled a shot at Macalester keeper Sam Price. Johnson picked up the loose deflection and sent it into the net for his first goal of the season.
Cattelin led the Gustie offense with two shots and two on goal, while Johnson, Anderson,
Ethan Glissendorf (Sioux Falls, S.D.), and
Darren Chukel (Hudson, Wis.) combined for the remainder of the team's attempts on net with one a piece.
Wesley Sanders (Urbandale, Iowa) saved all five shots from the Scots for his third clean sheet of the season.
"We needed that reaction today. We knew we weren't mentally or competively correct on Wednesday. Today, against an amazing team like Macalester who's ranked No. 18 in the country — and also on an extremely short turnaround — we knew there was no other choice than to focus on our intensity and compete levels," said Head Coach
Tudor Flintham. "Was it our best soccer? We had some great moments and created some good chances, but probably not. But after disappointment, that sometimes ins't the most important thing. You simply need to prove to the guy next to you that you're willing to sacrifice and suffer for them. We showed today that we are willing to fight for each other — that we are willing to give everything until the very end. If we continue to build our game around that and clean sheets then we just might still reach our goals.
"It was a full team effort. I don't love to single out one person," said Flintham, "but we have to acknowledge
Spencer Skjeldstad (Sogndal, Norway) who made his first collegiate start today and was tasked with marking one of the best strikers in the country in Macalester's Hans Haenicke. We threw him in the deep end and it turns out — the kid can swim. He was a beast today."
Gustavus, now 3-1-2, will face Hamline in St. Paul next Saturday.
