Unfortunate Turn of Events at Bethel: 2-1

Coming into our final away game of the season, the girls face a determined Bethel side this Wednesday in a game that determined their playoff chances going into the post-season next week.  Our girls did fantastic however, to step out onto the field and really show their true colors as they managed to match Bethel’s work rate and then some, which is an unbelievably difficult feat knowing that there is limited relief for them during the match due to an injury-riddled bench behind them.

The girls were really pressing high throughout the game, in every area of the field forcing Bethel to get away from their possession style and to play more direct, which our back line has been very disciplined and talented with being able to deal with, as they only 3 shots on target coming in the first half and only 3 in the second.  Our defenders held strong and really began to work out of the back, allowing our forward movement to really begin testing the Bethel defenders, especially in the second half resulting in a top-class goal by Maddison Ackiss (her ninth of the year) to put the Gusties up 1-0 in the 46^th minute of the match.  The goal came off of a pinpoint pass from Sophie Leininger in the midfield to a lightning fast Maddi, who rifled the shot past a very talented Bethel goalkeeper right into the far side-netting.

It was fabulous to finally break the scoreless conference streak, finding the back of the net and continuing to push forward into the attack, until roughly 15 minutes later in the match when Bethel came out on a breakaway and managed to slide a ball past keeper Roisen Granlund to equalize.

The girls kept pushing though, continuing to get the ball high up the field and whip in dangerous balls across the net, especially with freshman striker Laura Johnson’s movement across the Bethel back line causing absolute mayhem, which allowed Brittany and Maddi to continue creating goal scoring opportunities into the second half.

The match was clipped to an end though, after extending to overtime yet again where a Bethel striker played in a low driven shot, which took a questionable hop at the penalty spot causing a redirection and the ball to pop off of the ground and over the goalkeeper as it trickled into the net.  It was a tough game to lose, due to the unexpected finish, but that’s soccer, sometimes the ball just doesn’t bounce your way.

Women’s Soccer Drops Another Heartbreaker, Falls To Bethel 2-1 In OT

Posted on October 29th, 2014 by Nick Hoelmer

 

Maddison Ackiss scored her ninth goal of the season in a 2-1 overtime loss to Bethel on Wednesday afternoon.

Arden Hills, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus women’s soccer team was defeated by Bethel University 2-1 in overtime on Wednesday afternoon at the Ona Orth Soccer Complex. The loss marks the sixth game in the last eight the Gusties have played where they were defeated by a single goal. With the loss, Gustavus falls to 0-8-2 in the MIAC and 1-13-3 overall, while Bethel moves to 5-5-0 in the MIAC and 6-8-3 overall.

“Another hard fought game by the girls, but once again, the ball just didn’t bounce our way,” said head coach Laura Burnett-Kurie. “We were pleased with our tempo and how we controlled the ball and felt good about how we kept their defense on guard for a majority of the game.”

Gustavus looked to be in prime position to secure its first conference win of the season when Maddison Ackiss (So., Fairbanks, Alaska) got the Gusties on the board at the 46:21 mark off an assist from Sophie Leininger (Fy., Plymouth, Minn.). The goal was Ackiss’s ninth of the season and the assist was Leininger’s second of the year.

“Maddison’s goal came off of a cheeky ball threaded through the backline by Sophie Leininger,” said Burnett-Kurie. “Both Maddison and Sophie have made great strides this season and it was fun to see the chemistry they’ve developed create a beautiful play like that.”

Gustavus kept it’s lead for a little more than 15 minutes before Bethel’s Savannah Swanson got the Royals on the board at 63:38 on a pass from teammate Samantha Provost to knot things up at 1-1. The two teams stayed scoreless for the remainder of regulation, but approximately one and a half minutes into the extra period, Bethel’s Jessica Huseby secured the sudden death victory for the Royals off a pass from Erin Ness.

Gustavus again struggled to keep up with its opponent on the shot chart, with Bethel taking 16 shots and Gustavus taking eight. Roisen Granlund (So., St. Paul, Minn.) suffered the complete-game loss between the posts after allowing two goals and making six saves to bring her record to 0-5-0 on the year.

“With only one game remaining in the year, we are looking to keep up the tempo we showed tonight and finish our season strong with a victory,” said Burnett-Kurie.

Gustavus will wrap up its 2014 season on Saturday when it hosts Hamline University at the Gustie Soccer Field in a 1 p.m. game. As is tradition at Gustavus,  with it being the final home game of the regular season the team has designated the game as Senior Day and a special tribute will be made to the individuals who have dedicated themselves to the Gustavus women’s soccer program for the past four years.

Augsburg: 1-0

Bouncing back from a tough loss against UW-Stout, the girls came out guns blazing this Saturday in a very closely fought battle against Augsburg College.  It was defensive battle, as we had 2 new outside backs playing against a side that is very strong with attacking at pace along with outsides.  The girls did an absolute fantastic job holding strong in the back though, holding very tight and staying very well connected as a unit, holding the Auggies scoreless until late in the game where Augsburg was able to transition out very well and create a quick opportunity to score.

The girls attacked very well, ending with a shot advantage of 11-9 over the Auggies, forcing their defense to come up with numerous big stops as well as keeping their goalkeeper on her toes for all 90 minutes of the match.  Freshman Molly Johnston and junior Brittany Chase managed to combine very well coming into the attacking third and make themselves extremely dangerous, especially with the constant movement and attacking prowess of striker Maddisson Ackiss and sophomore attacker Jana Elliott repeatedly putting the Augsburg back line under pressure and whipping balls across their penalty box into dangerous areas.

The tides of the game certainly went back and fourth, and the match could’ve gone either way.  Even the play resulting in the Augsburg goal began with a Gustie attack containing 3 dangerous shots on target that happened to continue into a fine Augsburg counterattack ending with a goal against us.  We’re continuing to push into the attack more though, and we couldn’t be happier with the work rate put fourth by the girls coming into these tough matches and really battling it out all 90 minutes, making any opponent really fight to earn any points out of the match.

Late Goal Sinks Women’s Soccer, Falls 1-0 To Augsburg

Posted on October 25th, 2014 by Ethan Armstrong

The Gustavus women's soccer team fell to Augsburg 1-0 on Saturday in St. Peter.  Photo courtesy of CJ Siewert - Sport PiX

St. Peter, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus women’s soccer team suffered a hard-fought 1-0 loss to Augsburg College on Saturday afternoon at the Gustie Soccer Field. Although the Gusties played with and challenged the MIAC title contender for the duration of the match, a goal by Molly Allen in the 74th minute proved to be all the Auggies needed to earned the one-goal victory. Gustavus drops to 1-12-3 overall and 0-7-2 in the MIAC, while Augsburg improves to 12-4-0 overall and 7-2-0 in the MIAC.

“Despite today’s loss, I’m happy with our performance,” said Head Coach Laura Burnett-Kurie. “Even though we’ve had some injuries late in the season that have forced some players to play in positions that they are not used to, we were able to compete and create several dangerous opportunities.”

Following a scoreless first half that saw Augsburg with a 6-3 shots advantage, the game looked to be destined for overtime as the second half progressed. After Gustavus put several shots on goal, Augsburg countered with the eventual game-winner when Molly Allen scored her second goal of the season off an assist from Carter Denison.

“Augsburg’s goal came off a fantastic individual effort by an outstanding player,” commented Burnett-Kurie,” but just :20 seconds before we created several good looks and had them on their heels. We generated opportunities to score and hung with one of the top teams in the conference ­– that was great to see at this point of the season.”

By the end of the game, Gustavus turned the tide and finished with an 11-to-9 lead in shots. Augsburg had the upper hand in corner kicks 4-to-1.

Rosen Granlund (So., St. Paul, Minn.) suffered the complete-game loss in net after making five saves. Augsburg’s Marissa Guillou earned the complete-match win after making six saves.

Coach Burnett-Kurie credits her team’s performance to its resolve and perseverance under difficult circumstances. “It all came down to pride and winning the one-on-one battles,” she said. “We talked before the game about winning those battles and taking pride in the fact that you’re going to take it upon yourself to win those challenges. ‘Are you going to be better than them, or are they going to be better than you?’ They went into today’s game with that mentality, stuck in, and showed a lot of Gustie pride.”

The Gustavus women’s soccer team will be back in action on Wednesday, Oct. 29 when it travels to Arden Hills, Minnesota for a 3:30 p.m. contest against Bethel University.

Macalester College: 1-0

A truly thrilling match this Saturday as the girls faced off against Macalester College, in an overtime match yet again.  As our results against Macalester have been very difficult in the past, it was incredible to not only see the match go into overtime, but to see the dominance and attacking flair that the girls displayed on the field during the game and overtime!

The girls really stepped up their pressure, pushing high up the field and really stringing together some fantastic buildups, really controlling play for multiple long stretches of play.  Junior Brittany Chase was an absolute workhorse with her movement up top, constantly looking to get the ball at her feet and test the defense, which worked fantastic with central midfield pair Monica Pelkey and Sophie Leininger connecting magnificently through the middle, working the ball side to side, and forward and back, including everybody into the attack.  We’re also very proud of sophomore goalkeeper Roisen Granlund for stepping up with some big saves after senior Caroline Olsen suffered an injury midway through the first half.

The girls really worked throughout every minute of the game and had everybody at the field believing the result would be in our favor, especially midway into the second overtime period as sophomore attacker Jana Elliot got on the end of a magically placed cross from freshman Molly Johnston right behind the defense and connected with an excellent volley, forcing the goalkeeper to make a highlight save to keep her side in the match, unfortunately leading to a momentous buildup out of the back which resulted in a Macalester one touch finish from distance being placed right into the corner out of reach of Roisen.

Although the result didn’t go our way, it was a great game for everybody watching.  The girls played for the win, which the coaching staff will encourage every day of the week.  They played their hearts out this Saturday and left it all out on the pitch, but sometimes that just how soccer is; momentum can shift at any second and effect the final score line. We’re now very anxious to continue this attacking energy though, as the girls travel now to Menomonie, WI to face off with UW-Stout on Wednesday, October 22.

Women’s Soccer Downed By Macalester 1-0

Posted on October 18th, 2014 by Nick Hoelmer

St. Peter, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus women’s soccer team was downed by Macalester College 1-0 on Saturday afternoon on the Gustie Soccer Field in double overtime. With the loss, Gustavus falls to 1-10-3 overall and 0-6-2 in the MIAC, while Macalester moves to 7-6-1 overall and 3-4-1 in the MIAC.

“Despite another heartbreaking loss, we are proud of how well our team played,” said head coach Laura Burnett-Kurie. “Our passing was crisp, our defense was solid and we created dangerous opportunities forcing their backline and goalkeeper to come up with big saves.”

Gustavus forward Jana Elliott (So., Eagan, Minn.) had an opportunity to give the Gusties their first conference victory of the season on a shot two minutes into the second overtime period, but it just missed wide right to extend the game. Less than two minutes later, Macalester took advantage when Scot senior midfielder Hannah Walker received a cross from teammate Hannah Pollard-Garber to score her second goal of the season and seal the game for Macalester.

“This game showed the true nature of soccer, you can miss a great opportunity and have the momentum and then the next thing you know the other team puts the ball in the back of the net,” said Burnett-Kurie. “It just takes that one play to change the outcome of a game and unfortunately, we’ve been on the wrong side of that play for several overtime games this year.”

Gustavus goalkeeper Roisen Granlund (So., St. Paul, Minn.) saw her record drop to 0-2-0 on the season after coming in approximately 32 minutes into the game when starting goalkeeper Caroline Olson (Sr., York, Penn.) sustained a head injury. Granlund allowed one goal and made three saves in 71:34, while Olson allowed no goals and made one save in 31:56.

“At the end of the day, it’s not all about winning and losing, it’s about improving every game, fighting until the end and having the confidence to keep believing in our style of play,” said Burnett-Kurie. “Our girls are embracing that, which is fantastic and we can’t complain about the heart they are putting into the season.”

The Gusties’ next action will be on Wednesday when the team travels to Menomonie, Wisconsin for their last non-conference contest with UW-Stout at 7 p.m.

St. Catherine's University: 1-0

The girls faced a tough opponent this Tuesday in their match against the St. Kate’s Wildcats, as we went into yet another overtime game. This was a well fought game from both ends, as the girls began to create some good possession and really started to work the ball side to side a bit more, with senior goalkeeper Caroline Olson coming up with some big saves to keep the Gusties in the thriller match.

After an injury early in the second half, the girls were forced to move around a bit more into positions, and hats off to them for stepping into new roles well and with confidence, with senior Heather Goff sliding back into an outside defender position and Jana Elliot moving into our attacking midfielder position in her place.

Although the girls battled all game in a very back-and-fourth match, it unfortunately came down to a Wildcat free kick by Kailee Katt which was an absolute cracker into the top corner of the goal, narrowly escaping Caroline in the net.

We’re very proud of the girls, however, for their ability to continue battling through these overtime games, as it’s easy to overlook the strain it takes to play a battle of a game for a full 90 minutes as our bench is currently thin with injuries, but the girls are continuing to fight which we cannot praise them enough for, and their confidence that our conference win is soon in sight!

Women’s Soccer Suffers 1-0 Overtime Loss To St. Catherine

Posted on October 14th, 2014 by Nick Hoelmer

St. Peter, Minn. – After two hard fought periods in regulation that resulted in a 0-0 tie, the Gustavus Adolphus women’s soccer team was hoping for some overtime fortune that has eluded them so far this season. However, St. Catherine was able to take advantage of a timely free kick in the first overtime session that resulted in a 1-0 victory for the Wildcats on Tuesday afternoon at the Gustie Soccer Field. With the loss, Gustavus drops to 0-5-2 in the MIAC and 1-9-3 overall, while St. Catherine moves to 3-4-0 in the MIAC and 6-6-1 overall.

“We had our chances again today but just could not capitalize,” said head coach Laura Burnett-Kurie. “It was another match where we worked hard, but we just couldn’t find the goal. It’s another frustrating loss for us, but credit certainly needs to be given to St. Kate’s for their solid play.”

The two teams battled throughout the first two halves and each had their opportunities. But solid play from Gustie goalkeeper Caroline Olson (Sr., York, Penn.) and Wildcat keeper Danielle Mendez kept both teams scoreless and forced overtime.

In its fourth overtime period this season, Gustavus was outshot by St. Catherine 5-0, including the game-winning goal from Wildcat Kailee Katt on a free kick outside the box in the 98th minute. The goal was Katt’s first of the season and the match was only her sixth of the entire 2014 season.

“I was disappointed by how flat we came out in overtime,” said Burnett Kurie. “We just haven’t quite found that edge that we need yet this season and that has really hurt us, especially in close contests like this. That being said, we have four matches left in our season, including three against members of our conference, and we are not going to quit. We’ll continue to stay motivated and hungry to win and positively represent Gustavus. There is a lot we can take away from this season and a lot that our younger players can learn.”

Olson finished with one goal allowed and made eight saves in 98:33 and Sophie Leininger (Fy., Plymouth, Minn.) had two shots to lead the Gusties.

Gustavus will have the remainder of the week to practice before taking on Macalester College (1-4-1 MIAC, 5-6-1 overall) on Saturday afternoon in a 1 p.m. match at the Gustie Soccer Field.

University of Saint Thomas: 3-1

It was a hard fought battle this Saturday against the Saint Thomas, as the gusties fell 3-1 to the Tommies.  The girls managed to knock the ball around very well, though, as we were able to maintain very much of the possession in the first half and really control the midfield. We had a few slight momentary breakdowns in the first half that unfortunately saw us 3-0 at halftime, as the Tommies were able to find the net off of a few shots from distance that caught the players by surprise.

Besides those few instances however, the girls were able to stay very strong throughout the back, as they held the scoreline to 3 for Saint Thomas through the second half, as we were then able to nearly spark a comeback as Maddison Ackiss slotted in a beautiful shot after receiving a perfectly threaded through ball from Sophie Leininger, finding herself 1v1 with the goalkeeper and calmly placing the ball into the back of the net. The girls almost saw their second goal of the half come just minutes later as Brittany Chase nearly netted an absolute cracker of a shot that had gone just inches outside of the goal.

The girls are really starting to work the ball around well, beginning to work side to side very well, bringing our back line into the attack more which we were happy to see as well as starting to really work off of the feet of our forwards a lot more. We’re looking forward to then working off of this play and feeding off of it as the girls go into our next home match, this Thursday, October 14^th against Saint Catherine’s University at 4pm.

Women’s Soccer Falls To St. Thomas 3-1

Posted on October 11th, 2014 by Nick Hoelmer

 

Maddison Ackiss scored her eighth goal of the season in a 3-1 loss to St. Thomas on Saturday Afternoon

St. Paul, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus women’s soccer team dropped its third straight contest on Saturday afternoon when it was defeated by the University of St. Thomas 3-1 at South Field. The loss puts Gustavus at 0-4-2 in the MIAC and 1-8-3 overall while St. Thomas moves to 5-2-0 in the MIAC and 6-5-1 overall.

The Tommies were aggressive from the start, scoring their first goal less than two minutes into the game on a goal by Morgan McConachie from the top of the box at the 1:50 mark. Thirty minutes of play passed before Tommie forward Sydney Presley scored two goals within nine seconds of one another to put St. Thomas up 3-0 at the 32:48 mark and give the home team a comfortable lead heading into halftime.

Gustavus forward Maddison Ackiss (So., Fairbanks, Alaska) scored her eighth goal of the season at the 58:08 mark to bring the Gusties within two, but Gustavus could not do anymore damage.

Caroline Olson (Sr., York, Penn.) took the loss at keeper for Gustavus. Olson allowed three goals, had three saves and saw her record drop to 1-8-3 on the season.

Gustavus will try and find its first MIAC victory in its next match when St. Catherine University (5-6-1, 2-4 MIAC) comes to St. Peter on Tuesday afternoon for a 4 p.m. match.