SAINT PETER, Minn. - After an early goal by
Julia Davis and a dominant first half, the Gusties were unable to withstand a strong push by UW-River Falls in the last 45 minutes and dropped the first match of the season, 2-1.
First-year
Julia Davis (Duluth, Minn.) could not have asked for a better start to her Gustavus career, firing a shot from 45 yards away to find the first goal of the season for the Gusties. The shot was struck from distance, hit the crossbar, and dropped just past the goal line in the 6th minute to give Gustavus an early lead. The one goal did not tell the full story for the Gusties, who dominated the half with nine shots, four of which reached goal, compared to the Falcons' zero.
The halftime team talk seemed to be the lifeline the Falcons needed, scoring 45 seconds into the second half. After the goal, things settled in for both teams, pushing back and forth through the cagey affair. In the second half, UW-River Falls led slightly with three shots on goal compared to the Gusties' two and by the same margin on corner kicks, 5-4. Both teams exchanged chances forcing saves by the Falcon goalkeeper and senior
Katelyn Olson (Cloquet, Minn.). In the 85th minute, an unlucky bounce off of a cross fell directly to a Falcon forward, who fired a shot near post for what would prove to be the winner.
Gustavus took 14 shots across the 90 minutes, six of which were on goal, applying firm pressure throughout the match. All six shots on goal came from different players, while junior
Lauren Coy (Mahtomedi, Minn.) and Davis each fired two shots overall to lead the team.
The Gusties return to action this weekend with a pair of contests in Lincoln, Neb. against both Illinois College and Nebraska Wesleyan. The match against the Lady Blues will kick off at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday while the match against the Prairie Wolves is set for 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.
