SAINT PETER, Minn. – In what proved to be another one goal affair for the women's soccer team, the Gusties emerged victorious to take the weekend sweep with a pair of identical 1-0 wins. Taking a break from MIAC action, the Gusties hosted UW-River Falls for Youth Day, welcoming young soccer players from the area to celebrate at the Gustie Soccer Field.
The Gusties matched the late September heat on Sunday, setting the tone early to put the Falcons on their back-foot throughout the whole match.
Haillee Wilson (Jr., Ashland, Wis.) provided the lone goal in the 75th minute, and goalkeeper
Katelyn Olson (So., Cloquet) was the superhero in the last ten minutes to push the Gusties over the line.
In the first half, the Gusties dominated possession, putting nine shots on the score sheet, seven of which came from different players. The versatility and balance of the Gustie offense helped the team apply consistent pressure on the Falcons.
Payton Mahady (Jr., Minnetonka) had the best chance of the first half, taking a free kick - one of five committed by River Falls in the first 45 - and nearly chipping goalkeeper Grace Zellmer for the Falcons, but the ball tipped just over the crossbar and out for a corner. Both teams entered the break deadlocked, 0-0.
The second half proved to be the difference for the Gusties. After starting with six shots in the first 15 minutes of the half, the home team's pressure was mounting on the Gustie Soccer Field. The tie-breaking goal came off of a penalty kick buried by Wilson, after a handling offense was committed inside the penalty area. After the goal, though, the Falcons' urgency and desperation escalated, and Olson was up to the task. A save on a penalty kick book-ended by outstretched saves on both sides helped the Gusties claim the non-conference victory. Olson made an impressive save as time expired, leaving the Falcons stunned and the Gusties in jubilation.
"What a thrilling match. Impressive performance from our team today to come off a tough game yesterday and perform at an equally high level," said Head Coach
Laura Burnett-Kurie. "Our players adapted well to what our opponents were giving us and showed a lot of personality going forward. River Falls is a dangerous, well-coached and organized side, so to see our team control the game at points and step up defensively was inspiring to see. We are beyond excited for the mental, physical and emotional effort everyone put forth this weekend. They deserve a day off tomorrow for sure!"
Olson made eight saves in the contest for her and the team's fifth shutout of the season.
Kirstin Poppen (Sr., Verona, Wis.) led the team with three shots, followed by
Cambelle Waldspurger (Jr., Mahtomedi),
Brianna Monahan (Sr., Medina), and
Makenna Huetten (Sr., Eagan) with two each.
"We also want to thank all the Saint Peter youth soccer players for being the best fans ever and playing an awesome halftime match! We loved having each and every one of you join us for game day. Shout out to Coach Conners and our players for organizing this event!"
The Gusties (5-3-2, 1-3-0 MIAC) are back in action on Saturday, hosting Augsburg (4-2-3, 0-0-3 MIAC) at the Gustie Soccer Field.
