SAINT PETER, Minn. - The Gustavus men's soccer team is set for the MIAC Playoffs, starting by hosting No. 22 Saint John's on Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Gustie Soccer Field. 

The Gusties (12-3-3, 8-0-2 MIAC) have now made the MIAC Playoffs 10 years in a row and the appearance is the 20th overall for the program. Gustavus boasts seven MIAC Playoff Championships, the most in conference history and will look to add another this year, starting with Thursday's matchup against Saint John's (16-2-2, 7-2-1 MIAC).

TICKETING

All tickets will be sold and purchased online via HomeTown Ticketing. There will not be cash sales at any venue; however, spectators can purchase tickets using a mobile device, including while at the venue. General admission tickets will be on sale for $12, students with their ID can purchase tickets for $3, and children five and under are free. MIAC passes are accepted for MIAC Playoff games and all tickets are also subject to a HomeTown Ticketing Service Charge. As a reminder, artificial noisemakers are not permitted at any MIAC events.

PAY-PER-VIEW

The 2026 MIAC Men's Soccer Playoffs will be streamed live on the MIAC Sports Network in a pay-per-view format. Individual playoff contests will be streamed for $10 each, or $25 for a "championship pass" to stream the entire tournament live. On-demand access to playoff games will be available after the NCAA Tournament concludes.

The MIAC Sports Network Help Page provides guidance and links to help fans navigate the streaming platform. Hudl Customer Support is also available by email or 24/7 chat to assist with any issues. 

PLAYOFF APPAREL

Official playoff apparel is available for online purchase via the MIAC Shop powered by UNRestricted MKTG. The online MIAC Shop features officially licensed short-sleeve t-shirts, long-sleeve t-shirts, and hooded sweatshirts to commemorate the 2026 conference tournament.  The items available in this store are custom-decorated. Please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery. All apparel items are online-only, custom-made, and all sales are final. 

SCOUTING THE GUSTIES

The Gustavus men's soccer team ended the regular season with a 12-3-3 record and ended the MIAC regular season with an undefeated 8-0-2 record. The Gusties earned the No. 2 seed with 26 total points and are the first team in the 53-year history of MIAC Men's Soccer to go undefeated and not earn at least a share of the conference title. 

When they played Saint John's earlier in the year, the Gusties defeated the then No. 20 ranked Johnnies, 2-0. Saint John's had not given up a goal this season coming into the game, but the senior duo of Leo Runestad (Northfield, Minn.) and Joe Flory (Whitchurch, England) changed that, scoring a goal each to top the Johnnies and earn three points.

In the 30th minute, after the Gusties were awarded a free kick just outside the penalty area due to an off the ball foul, Gustavus made it count to take the lead on the Johnnies. Sophomore forward Kieran Mahan (Wayzata, Minn.) fired a left-footed shot that was tipped onto the crossbar and Runestad tapped it home. Before the goal was scored, both teams had one shot on goal and a flurry of other shots, but Runestad was the one who was able to give Gustavus an early advantage. 

The second half brought five shots on goal for the Gusties, topping Saint John's, who had four. Gustavus also held a small advantage in corner kicks, 3-2, but the Gusties found their second goal in the run of play. In the 77th minute, junior Henrry Abarca-Gonzalez (Des Moines, Iowa) played a ball that bounced between a few Saint John's players that Flory was able to pounce on. The wet turf made the ball skid past and Flory found the ball and was able to pick out his spot to double the lead. After the goal, the defensive unit for the Gusties did not allow another shot on goal, securing the win.

As a team offensively, Gustavus has averaged 2.5 goals per game this season exactly, which ranks second in the conference and 32nd in the country. That production has been mostly in part to the tandem of Mahan and senior Flory, who have combined for 22 of the 45 total goals this year. In addition to accounting for 22 goals, their 12 and 10, respectively, rank first and second in the conference. In conference games, Flory has been particularly clinical, leading the MIAC with seven goals. The Englishman scored against five of 10 conference opponents this year, scoring once against Saint John's, Saint Mary's, and Hamline, while scoring a brace against both Concordia and Carleton. Mahan has been particularly 'clutch' throughout the 2026 campaign, ranking first in the conference and 19th in the country with four game-winning goals. Mahan has two hat-tricks this season as well including one in just 5:10 of game time against UW-Superior, the 2026 UMAC Regular Season Champion. Mahan's seven assists have earned him 29 points this season across all competitions which also ranks him 29th nationally. 

Defensively, Gustavus averaged 0.5 goals allowed per conference game to rank second in the conference. Junior goalkeeper Jackson Baker (Excelsior, Minn.) has stood between the pipes the most this year, garnering nine wins and three shutouts while contributing one more. Baker has a 0.91 goals against average and a 78.7 save percentage with 48 saves. Senior Simon Woods (Sioux Falls, S.D.) leads the team in minutes with 1550, leading the Gustavus back line. 

SCOUTING THE JOHNNIES

The Johnnies boast the 26th best NPI in the nation as of November 4th, moving up two spots after Tuesday's win over Augsburg. In addition to a good spot in terms of the NCAA's Selection Criteria, the work on the field for the Johnnies has been strong as well. One thing the Collegeville club has been particularly strong in this season is scoring, ranking third in the country and first in the conference by averaging 3.63 goals per game. The Johnnies have coupled their scoring prowess with a good scoring defense to earn the top goal differential in the country at 60 and have also led in secondary categories around the board as well. Saint John's ranks fourth in the country in shots per game at 21.58 and even when they're not going in, the Johnnies have used that to generate the most corner kicks per game in the country with 9.21.

Eli Ryan and Alex Keekley have stood out individually for Saint John's. Ryan ranks first in the country by averaging 0.75 assists per game and third in the country in total assists. Keekley has been the main starter at goalkeeper for the Johnnies and ranks third in the country in goals against average, only allowing 0.43 goals per game and holds a 88.7 save percentage. 

Saint John's is led by Tudor Flintham, who was the coach at Gustavus from 2018 through 2024. While at Gustavus, Flintham helped the Gusties post a 47-6-7 conference record and through two regular seasons at Saint John's, boasts a 12-6-2 MIAC record after leaving Gustavus following the 2024 season.

MATCH DETAILS

The match between Gustavus and Saint John's is tentatively scheduled for a 2 p.m. kickoff at the Gustie Soccer Field. If the match is tied after 90 minutes, the teams will play two overtime periods of 10 minutes where if a goal is scored, the game is decided. If tied after two periods of overtime, the teams will play a penalty shootout to decide the outcome of the match. The winner will advance to the MIAC Championship at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the highest-remaining seed.