VanderStreek led the Gusties with two goals.
The Gustavus men’s soccer team got two goals from Bret VanderStreek, one in each half, and then held off a late Carleton rally to claim a 2-1 win in Northfield on Wednesday afternoon. The contest was the MIAC opener for both squads. The Gusties improve to 3-1-2 overall and 1-0-0 in the MIAC.
Both of VanderStreek’s goals were nearly identical. He received a pass from the midfield while he was breaking through the middle of the field at the top of the penalty box and then beat one defender before sliding the ball past the goalkeeper just inside the post. VanderStreek’s first goal came in the 43rd minute, while his second goal came in the 54th minute. They were his first two goals of the season. He nearly scored his third goal of the game in the 60th minute, however Carleton goalkeeper Pete Semmer managed to deflect the shot out of play giving the Gusties a corner kick.
Carleton put good pressure on the Gusties throughout the contest and had several quality shots turned away on great saves by Gustavus goalkeeper Luke Strom. The Knights scored with just under five minutes remaining in regulation play to cut the lead to 2-1 and pressured the Gusties until the final horn, but Gustavus held on for the key 2-1 conference win on the road.
Gustavus will play Concordia at home on Sunday at 2:00 pm in its next contest.