The Gustavus men’s soccer team has relied on its seniors all season long and they came through yet again as the Gusties defeated Hope College (Mich.) 1-0 in a NCAA First Round game Friday in Whitewater, Wis. Senior Caleb Bousu (Burnsville, Minn.) headed in his ninth goal of the season in the 68th minute to provide the game’s lone goal. Fellow senior Chris Pinahs (Delafield, Wis.) was credited with the assist. Gustavus advances to play Wheaton (Ill.) in a second-round match-up Saturday, November 12 at 1 p.m. in Whitewater.
Gustavus, which played aggressively all day, had numerous scoring chances throughout the game, many by 2005 MIAC MVP Bobby Kroog. Kroog (Bloomington, Minn.), a senior midfielder, certainly had many more opportunities than the two shots he was credited with. Many however, sailed high or wide of the net.
The Gusties finally connected with the net in the 68th minute, as Kroog lofted a pass high in the direction of Pinahs, who one-timed it back across the field toward Bousu. The senior forward headed the ball past Flying Dutchman keeper Kevin Butterfield to give the Gusties the 1-0 lead. The crowd cheering for Pinahs’ assist was probably a little larger than normal. The senior midfielder was playing only 35 minutes from his hometown of Delafield, Wisconsin in suburban Milwaukee.
With less than five minutes to play, the Gusties were awarded a penalty kick after senior Jeff Aasness was brought down in the penalty area. Gustavus sophomore forward Jeffrey Johnson (Tonka Bay, Minn.) stepped in to take the penalty kick, but missed a chance to put the game out of reach, as his shot sailed high and wide.
The aggressive play by the Gusties resulted in five offsides calls on Gustavus, including four alone in the second half. The Gusties also held a 7-2 advantage in corner kicks.
Gustie keeper Tyler Garry (Sioux Falls, S.D.) played well in net, picking up four saves.
Hope sophomore Dan Tresslar picked up four of the Flying Dutchmen’s eight shot attempts.
Gustavus advances to Saturday’s second round, where they will face Wheaton College (Ill.). The Thunder (18-5-1), which finished third in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin this season, downed host UW-Whitewater, 2-1, in an earlier game. Game time is set for 1 p.m. at Fiskum Field on the campus of UW-Whitewater. The Gusties are 0-2 all-time against Wheaton (Ill.), with the last meeting coming in 1999 – a 3-1 loss at St. Peter.
Box Score