It was a great day out at the Gustie Soccer field as the
girls ended their 2014 season on a high note after a thrilling 1-0 victory over
Hamline University. This win marked the
girls’ first conference win of the season, a great way to tribute our senior
class and the hard work that the girls have been putting in all season.
Despite the score line, it was a battle of the two very
attacking offenses, with two very dangerous opportunities by each team within
the first minutes of the game, with goalkeeper Roisen Granlund coming up with a
big breakaway save early on, followed by a cracking volley by Brittany Chase at
the opposite end going just inches wide of the post.
The deadlock was broken in the 20th minute when
Maddison Ackiss stole the ball off of a Hamline defender and managed a
seemingly impossible strike from well outside of the 18 yard box on the left
side that sent the ball soaring into the far corner of the net, just barely out
of reach of the Hamline goalkeeper. The
goal was truly a beauty to watch, that only a natural goal scorer would have
the prowess to put away.
The game was a true battle, with stretches of play being
played at each end of the field and the girls doing a fantastic job to hold
strong in the back and deny the Pipers any free opportunities on goal. The entire back line played fantastic,
posting their first shutout of the conference.
They worked hard for all 90 minutes, keeping the ball from finding a
rhythm in our half by constantly working to push high and preventing Hamline
from building up around our defensive third.
We couldn’t think of a better way for our senior class to go
out. It’s incredibly rare for a class to
be able to end their collegiate career on a win, and we couldn’t be happier for
our girls. It took true heart and determination to come out and get the win and
it was well deserved.
Sweet Goodbye, Women’s Soccer Earns First MIAC Victory
On Senior Day
Posted on November
1st, 2014 by Nick Hoelmer
 |
| The Gustavus Adolphus women's soccer team closed out its season on a high note, defeating Hamline 1-0 on Senior Day. |
St. Peter, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus women’s soccer team
saved its best for last, winning its final game of the season and sending its
seniors out on a high note. The Gusties defeated Hamline University 1-0 on
Saturday afternoon at the Gustie Soccer Field to pick up their first conference
victory and stamp in a final record of 1-8-2 in the MIAC and 2-13-3 overall.
“This season, we’ve proven that we’re in the competitive
stage in close games, we’ve just been on the wrong end in the win-loss column,”
said head coach Laura Burnett-Kurie. “That being said, this win shows that
we’re not just in the competitive stage, but that we can win those close, tight
games. I think today gives us a huge boost of confidence, especially our
younger team members who will be returning next year. It was really rewarding
for all of the girls because they’ve stayed so positive all year, even when
things haven’t been going well, so it was nice to see that our hard work has
paid off. I’m especially happy for our four seniors that get to leave the
program with a win under their belt!”
As has been the case for much of the season, Gustavus
sophomore Maddison Ackiss (Fairbanks, Alaska) provided the scoring punch for
the Gusties. At 20:34, Ackiss gathered the ball on the far left of the Hamline
penalty area, dribbled around two defenders and blasted a shot over Piper
goalkeeper Erin Urbanowicz’s head to give Gustavus a 1-0 lead that would hold
for the remainder of the game. The goal was Ackiss’s 10th of the season, good
for fourth in the MIAC in that category.
“Maddison is a goal-scorer,” said Burnett-Kurie. “She can
create something out of nothing and can really turn things around just by
getting the ball and cracking one of her shots. That’s helped us a lot this
year and having a player like Maddison has been key for our team.”
The Gustavus defense was strong on the day, allowing only
seven shots for the Pipers and only one in the second half. Gustavus goalkeeper
Roisen Granlund (So., St. Paul, Minn.) picked up her first victory of the
season, as well as her first collegiate shutout to bring her 2014 record to
1-5-0 after collecting two saves and completing the shutout.
Senior Day
As is tradition at Gustavus, the final home game of the
regular season was designated as Senior Day and a special tribute was made to
the individuals who dedicated themselves to the Gustavus women’s soccer program
over their college career. This year, four seniors were recognized for their
dedication and commitment to Gustie women’s soccer. Those seniors were: Valerie
Belanger (Zimmerman, Minn.), Caroline Olson (York, Penn.), Heather Goff (Eagan,
Minn.) and Karlye Smith (Eau Claire, Wis.). The team also recognized senior
athletic trainer Angela Gewerth, who has been the lead student trainer for the
team this season.
“I’ve been really fortunate since I started here that the
senior classes have brought so much to the program,” said Burnett-Kurie. “This
senior class was special in the way they didn’t become complacent when the
going got tough. They were ok with our record because they knew we were improving
and they understood that our season was about so much more than wins and
losses. They didn’t let their frustrations get the best of them, they came out
everyday and put their best foot forward and really continued to bring the team
together. Having that type of leadership, that vocal leadership that kept the
positive energy up throughout the season really meant a lot. It’s going to be
sad to see them go and it’s going to be very tough to replace them, but I truly
believe they’ve done enough for our younger players to pave the way and keep
things heading in the right direction.”
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