ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Gustavus men's soccer team used late heroics under the lights of Macalester Stadium on Wednesday night, defeating the Scots in the 89th minute. Sophomore
Kieran Mahan played hero, slotting a ball past for the late winner.
With his goal, sophomore
Kieran Mahan (Wayzata, Minn.) leaped into the lead for game-winning goals in the MIAC with three in just eight games played. The goal was the only real statistical difference between the two teams, who even sit next to each other in this week's United Soccer Coaches Region IX Regional Rankings. Gustavus held a slight advantage in shots on goal, 6-4, but had to defend two more corners than the Scots at seven. In net, junior
Jackson Baker (Excelsior, Minn.) kept his third shutout of the season.
The first half was tightly contested as well, which was to be expected for the two teams. For the Gusties, this game was seen as a bit of a 'get back' game, avenge a loss in last season's MIAC Playoff Semifinal, 1-2. Through the first 45, there were just two shots on goal by the Gusties. The first came from senior
Joe Flory (Whitchurch, England) in the 21st minute and the second and final was in the dying seconds of the half, when senior
Leo Runestad (Northfield, Minn.) struck one. Baker made four saves in the half, keeping the first half of his eventual shutout.
Gustavus flexed their might on both ends of the field in the second half. The Gusties were able to find four shots on goal to pressure the Scots, including the winner. On the defensive end, Gustavus defended six corners and cleared them all away, while also blocking two shots in the process. The shining moment of the match came in the 89th minute, when junior
Jacob Walker (Chicago, Ill.) flicked a ball onto Flory. Flory then took a few touches into space and drew two defenders, which cleared up the reigning MIAC Rookie of the Year, Mahan. The Wayzata native was all alone with the goalkeeper and made no mistake, finessing a shot into the bottom right corner to take the lead. Mahan is now tied for third in goals in the MIAC with five and is averaging .625 goals per game.
The dynamic duo of Flory and Mahan rank in the top six of points per game in the conference and are the highest ranked duo from the same team in that category. The pair also averages 6.51 shots per game, proving their constant threat. Baker's three shutouts ranks third in the conference and also ranks third in shutouts per appearance at .500 this year.
Out of the six shots on goal, Mahan was the only one to take multiple and his second proved to be the game-winner for Gustavus. Sophomore
Thomas Depaula (Ankeny, Iowa) and Walker were the only two to play the full 90 in the outfield for the visitors.
The long road in one of the country's finest conferences continues on Saturday with a matchup against Augsburg, who is receiving votes in the Region IX Rankings. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at the Gustie Soccer Field.
