OSHKOSH, Wis. – The Gustavus women's soccer team began its season with a five-day road trip, stopping first at UW-Oshkosh for its season opener. Late heroics by
Payton Mahady helped the Gusties battle to a 2-2 tie with the Titans to open their season.
The Gusties controlled the first half action, putting six shots on goal while holding the Titans to zero on sophomore keeper
Katelyn Olson.
Haillee Wilson put Gustavus on the board in the first half, scoring her first in a Gustie jersey at minute 36. A misplay by an Oshkosh defender put the ball in the air for
Gabriela Rodriguez, who headed it to Wilson. The junior transfer made the most of her opportunity, sending her shot into the low left corner and past the Titan keeper for a 1-0 Gustie lead.
Libby Moore nearly doubled the lead at the end of the first half, launching a shot into high center that Oshkosh keeper Emma Sauriol was just barely able to keep out of the goal.
Oshkosh shook off the rust in the second half, dominating the play for the first 10 minutes, which resulted in a pair of goals just four minutes apart. The Titans evened the score at minute 53, as a long ball was chipped into the box for a footrace between UWO's Nadia Epshteyn and Mahady. Epshteyn had the edge and pushed the ball past a diving Olson to even the score, 1-1. The Titans scored their second on a near breakaway for Maris Heun, as a steal in the midfield put the ball on the foot of Maddie Anderson, who launched one into the box to Heun. One-on-one with Olson, Heun was able to find the lower left corner to take the lead, 2-1.
The Titans mustered three more shots on goal on Olson in the second half, as well as six corner kicks to heighten the pressure. The Gusties refused to quit, though, resulting in Mahady's game-tying goal. A long ball down the field was kept in bounds by
Ellen Becken as the final minutes of the game ticked away. Becken sent a rocket into the box, looking for any number of her teammates planted firmly in the zone. A few missed attempts left the ball bouncing to the foot of Mahady, who finished with a shot into low right to tie the game with 4:50 remaining. Oshkosh mustered two more shots before the end of the game, but nothing close to the goal of Olson, ending the game in a 2-2 draw.
Mahady led the Gustie offensive charge, totaling a pair of shots on goal, while seven other players accounted for one of the team's total nine. UWO sent five shots towards Olson, with the sophomore collecting three saves in her first start of the year.
The Gusties continue their road trip this weekend, traveling to Ripon for a 1 p.m. matchup on Sunday.
