The Gustavus men’s soccer team defeated St. Thomas 1-0 on Tuesday afternoon in St. Peter, Minn. The 12th-ranked Gusties improve to 14-1-2 overall and 8-1-1 in the MIAC, while the Tommies fall to 10-4-2 overall and 4-4-1 in the MIAC.
The win secures at least a share of the regular season conference title, which is the fourth title under the direction of head coach Larry Zelenz. St. Olaf College must win away at Augsburg tonight and away at Carleton on Saturday to claim its share of the conference title. Gustavus now leads the MIAC with nine regular season conference titles with Saint John’s and Macalester each with eight. The last conference title won by Gustavus was in 2000.
After 45-minutes of play the game remained tied at 0-0. Each team had five shots with the Gusties forcing three saves and the Tommies forcing two saves. Gustavus held a 3-1 corner kick advantage heading into the lockerroom.
The Gusties looked for the go ahead goal in the second half but couldn’t put the finishing touches on the ball. However, in the 79th minute the Gusties were awarded a corner-kick and freshman J.T. Johnson swung in a left-footed cross. The Tommie defense was not able to clear the ball and the ball bounced into the far corner of the goal to give the Gusties the 1-0 lead. Gustavus enjoyed the majority of possession in the remaining 15-minutes to secure its share of the MIAC regular season title.
Gustavus goalkeeper Andy Moulton made five saves to record his ninth win and tenth shutout of the season. Moulton leads the MIAC with a goals against average of 0.00.
Gustavus will host regional opponent Colorado College on Saturday, October 30. The Tigers are ranked 21st in the nation and third in the West Region by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). The match is scheduled to begin at 1:00pm.