SAINT PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus women's soccer team had a tall order ahead of them Saturday, facing a talented and regionally-ranked Simpson team that has seen success at the national tournament in recent years. Both teams entered the game without a loss, and each left with that record still unblemished, as the Gusties battled the Storm to a 2-2 draw at the Gustie Soccer Field.
Simpson got on the board first, setting the tone for a back-and-forth battle with a goal in minute seven off the foot of Cassie Nash. Nash, a two-time All-American, took a long pass from Julia Wagoner and beat three Gustie defenders and
Katelyn Olson (So., Cloquet) for a 1-0 lead.
The Gusties evened the score before the end of the half though, with an all-too-early candidate for goal of the year. Gustavus systematically moved up the field, putting the ball on the foot of
Cambelle Waldspurger (Jr., Mahtomedi). She sent it wide to
Brianna Monahan (Sr., Medina), who laid a perfect pass to a sprinting
Ellen Becken (Sr., Prior Lake) in the box, who one-touched it into the back of the goal. Becken's goal gave the Gusties momentum and a 1-1 tie at the half.
The Storm's second goal of the game was nearly déjà vu, as Simpson capitalized early in the second frame with another goal from Nash. The visitors came out of the break with plenty of offensive pressure, and Nash was no exception, beating Olson one-on-one with a shot to the right corner.
The Gusties weren't to be counted out, though. Even as time ticked down, Gustavus was able to battle from behind once again to even the score in the final five minutes of play. Simpson maintained heavy offensive pressure in the second half, with 20 shot attempts and eight corners, but the ball eventually found its way to the midfield and
Hannah Cisar (Jr., Sioux Falls, S.D.). Cisar was pressured by a Storm defender, but a timely takeaway by Waldspurger resulted in the junior's second goal of the week, as she completed the steal and sent the ball into the low left corner, despite four Simpson defenders in her way.
The Gusties kept the Storm offense at bay for the final five minutes of play, ending the game in a 2-2 draw, their second of the season, to maintain an unblemished record of 3-0-2.
"We have nothing but praise for the guts we put into today's match-up," said Head Coach
Laura Burnett-Kurie. "We knew it was going to be a dog fight and that we were going to have to dig deep, believe in ourselves and our teammates, and come up with big moments. We knew it was going to take 90 minutes of trust and will.
"Today's game was about stepping up to the moment, and we did that time and time again. To come from behind twice against a top team in the region is formidable. And even more so, to tie it up in the waning moments shows how special this team is. We are incredibly proud of today's performance and know we still have a lot of potential left to reach."
Waldspurger led the offensive charge for the Gusties with four shots, all of which were on the mark. Becken added a trio of her own on goal, while Monahan and
Callie Patraw (Sr., Elk River) each chipped in one to the team total. Olson was busy between the pipes, making a season-high 10 saves, marking the third time in her career the sophomore has made saves in the double-digits.
The Gusties take their momentum into conference play next week, facing Carleton, who received votes last week's national poll, for their MIAC opener at the Gustie Soccer Field on Wednesday.
