Below is our recap of our quarter final playoff game against St. Olaf. We knew going into this game that it was going to be a hard fought battle against the number three seed. Despite beating St. Olaf 3-0 in the beginning of the season we knew we were going to have to battle and that is exactly what we did. In the dwindling seconds of the first half Ashley Becker came up with what proved to be the game changer for us. Coming up with a huge, tremendous, extraordinary, and amazing save off a St. Olaf penalty kick, we escaped notched at zeros after the second half. From there on we knew that we were in this game and that we were ready to put the ball in the back of the net. We came up with not one, but two early goals in the second half to put us ahead and played solid defensively to earn a Gustie upset in the first round of the MIAC playoffs.
Women’s Soccer Upsets St. Olaf 2-0 To Advance In MIAC Playoffs
Posted on October 31st, 2017 by CJ Siewert
NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The final 35 seconds of the first half and the first 34 seconds of the second proved to be the most exciting moments in Tuesday’s MIAC women’s soccer quarterfinal match at No. 3 seed St. Olaf. Gustavus keeper Ashley Becker (Jr., Farmington, Minn.) made a diving penalty kick save at the end of the first half, while Chase Miller (Jr., Brooklyn Park, Minn.) worked around a number of defenders in the box and found the left side of the net for a goal to start the second, which proved to be the game-winner in a 2-0 victory for the No. 6 seed Gusties.
“Ashley Becker came up with a massive save on a penalty kick,” Head Coach Laura Burnett-Kurie said. “Big time players come up with big time plays.”
The victory moves the Gusties into the semifinal round where they will travel to No. 2 St. Thomas for a 2 p.m. match tomorrow. The last time Gustavus and St. Thomas faced each other in the MIAC playoffs was in 2015, which ended in a 1-0 Gustie victory for the league championship. The Tommies defeated the Gusties 2-0 on Sept. 23 this season in St. Peter.
“Playoffs are an entire new season,” Burnett-Kurie said. “We went into the game with belief and confidence balanced with knowing it was going to be a battle. St. Olaf is a tough matchup, they are technical and dangerous in the final third. Our team battled hard, found a rhythm and figured out a way to win.”
In Tuesday’s quarterfinal game, St. Olaf controlled possession for a majority of the first half as it led the shot count 8-3 after the first 45 minutes. Miller’s unassisted goal 34 seconds into the second half gave the Gusties a jolt of momentum that they carried throughout the rest of the match. Seven minutes after Miller’s team-leading fifth goal of the season, Emily Skogseth (Jr., Burnsville, Minn.) took a pass from Sophie Leininger (Sr., Plymouth, Minn.) and beat her defender down the middle of the field and fired a shot into the back of the net for an insurance goal, her third of the season.
“We came out with a mission in the second half, scoring two early goals,” Burnett-Kurie said. “From there we were smart, controlled the tempo at times and finished out the 90 minutes.”
The Gustie defense didn’t allow the Oles to gain much traction in the final 45 minutes, limiting them to one shot on goal. Becker finished the game with two saves for her 10th shutout of the season.
No comments:
Post a Comment