Liz Petersen heads the ball for Gustavus.
Alison Dittmer battles a Wildcat for the ball.
Shannon Quealy watches the ball as a Wildcat brings it up field.
Kirsten Thulien looks to take the ball away from a Wildcat.
The Gustavus women’s soccer team lost a close conference match to St. Kate’s 2-1 on Wednesday afternoon in St. Peter. Amy Larson scored the lone goal for the Gusties late in the second half. Gustavus falls to 2-4-1 overall and 0-2-1 in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Wildcats are now 2-4-0 on the year and 1-2-0 in the conference.
In the 14th minute of play, Danielle Becker kicked the ball to the upper corner of the goal, but Gustavus keeper Julie Mahre (Jr., White Bear Lake, Minn.) was able to jump up and save the shot from going in the net. However, seconds later, Becker came back and stuck the ball past Mahre to put the Wildcats up 1-0. The Gusties had a chance in the first half when Amy Larson tried to kick the ball while sliding but Danielle Weis, the St. Kate’s keeper, was able to stop the scoring chance.
Gustavus had a great opportunity in the 62nd minute when Chelsea Craven (Fy., Sauk Rapids, S.D.) kicked the ball at the goal but Weis made a diving stop. St. Kate’s had a great breakaway chance in the 70th minute, but Mahre was able to move up on the ball and deflect it away. St. Kate’s had another breakaway scoring opportunity in the 82nd minute. Mahre moved up to play the ball, but collided with the Wildcat striker. Mahre drew a red card on the play and Ashley Ohlson (So., Anchorage, AK) came in at keeper for the Gusties. Ohlson was able to get her hands on the ensuing penalty kick by Mikaelyn Llewellyn, but the ball deflected into the net to give St. Kate’s a 2-0 lead.
Playing one person short due to the red card, the Gusties cut the lead to one goal in the 85th minute as Amy Larson (Sr., Bloomington, Minn.) found the net with a shot low and to Weis’s right. Gustavus had other scoring opportunities in the game’s final minutes but couldn’t capitalize on them.
Gustavus outshot the Wildcats 25-9 and had an 8-2 advantage in corner kicks. Weis made 12 saves for St. Kate’s, while Mahre (5) and Ohlson (1) combined for six.
The win for St. Kate’s is its first ever against the Gusties. Gustavus is now 4-1-1 all-time against the Wildcats.
On Saturday, Gustavus will play St. Ben’s in St. Joseph, Minn.