The Gustavus women’s soccer team fell behind by a goal in the first five minutes, but rebounded to notch a 3-1 victory over Bethel University on Friday afternoon in St. Peter. The Gusties moved to 7-10-1 overall, 4-6-1 in the MIAC with the win in the season finale. Bethel rounds out their season at 6-10-2, 1-8-2 in the conference.
The Gusties had scoring opportunities early and often against the Royals. Gustavus outshot Bethel by a 28-3 margin during the match and held a 7-1 advantage in corner kicks, but trailed for over two-thirds of the match.
The Royals got on the board first with first-year Esther Sowles finding the net in the fifth minute. The Bethel forward took advantage of a Gustavus defense slow to react after consecutive shots by Gustie midfielder Megan Tepper (Jr., Woodbury, Minn.) ricocheted off the post from point blank range.
Despite being inundated by 15 shots in the first half, the Royals, behind keeper Charli Sorenson, took a 1-0 lead into the half. Sorenson turned away 12 shots in the first half alone.
The lead would hold until the 67th minute, when Gustavus forward Samantha Engh (Sr., Wayzata, Minn.) forced her way deep into the box. A tackle by a Royal defender disloged the ball directly into the path of a charging Christy Tupy. Tupy (Fy., Eagan, Minn.) promptly tucked the ball into the net for the equalizer. Engh was credited with an assist on the goal, Tupy’s fifth of the season.
Sophomore Jenna Iaizzo (White Bear Lake, Minn.) just barely missed extending her goal-scoring streak to three games when a free kick caromed off the crossbar in the 74th minute. The Gusties would extend the lead to 2-1 just over a minute later when Beth Stauffer (Jr., Plymouth, Minn.) headed in her first goal of the season off an Amy Larson corner kick. Larson (Jr., Bloomington, Minn.) picked up her third assist of the season on the play.
Engh closed out the scoring in the 78th minute, notching her fourth goal of the season off a rebound following yet another Amy Larson corner kick. Engh concludes her Gustavus career with 22 goals, 11th place all-time on the Gustavus career goals list.
Gustie keeper Tori Boughton (Sr., Edina, Minn.) moved her record to 7-10 with the win in net in her final collegiate match. Her lone save leaves her with 270 career saves, third place on the Gustavus career saves list.
Christy Tupy led all Gusties during the 2005 season with five goals, followed by Larson and Engh with four apiece. Jenna Iaizzo also notched three goals. Larson’s team-high three assists gave her the edge over Tupy in total points, though, 11-10.
Gustavus concludes its 2005 season with a 7-10-1 record, 4-6-1 in the MIAC. The Gusties have won four of their last five matches and will take a three-match winning streak into 2006.
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