Sometimes all it takes is a minor setback to re-gain focus. Case in point, the Gustavus men’s soccer team on Saturday afternoon against Concordia. Six different players found the back of the net as the Gusties cruised to a 7-0 victory over the Cobbers on the Gustie Soccer Field. Gustavus picks up its first MIAC win of the season, improving to 1-1-0 in league play and 6-1-0 overall. Concordia drops to 0-1-1 in the MIAC and 3-3-1 overall.
“The lads played well today – I was so pleased for them after all their hard work. We knocked the ball around nicely, and enjoyed a lot of possession,” said Head Coach Mike Middleton. “It was a nice recovery after Wednesday; we had our legs back after the long trip to California, and that made such a difference.”
Jackson Zoellner was the first to put the ball into the back of the net, knocking in a Mark Adams assist that defected off a Cobber defender and into the goal. Lucas Thompson made it a 2-0 game later in the half, heading in a corner kick from Adams. Zack Brown brought the first half scoring to a close with an unassisted goal at the 37:47 mark. Brown now has four goals on the year, the second-most on the team.
The Gusties recorded 12 shots in the opening half, seven of which were on goal.
At the 60:44 point, Doug Frey got into the scoring mix with his first goal of two goals of the game, burying the ball into the top shelf on a breakaway (4-0).
Mark Adams notched his fourth point of the game on goal from Kyle Sadler, giving the Gusties a 5-0 edge. Adams has scored a team-high 15 points on six goals and three assists this season. Ten minutes after that, it was Grant Steine navigating his way through the Cobber defense and kicking the ball home at 80:31 (6-0).
Frey scored his second goal of the match in the 83rd minute off of Sadler’s assist from outside the box, bringing the game to a final at 7-0.
Gustavus tallied 16 shots on target and 24 total in the game. Concordia registered six shots in the contest.
Ben Kolis recorded his first win between the goal posts since the season opener on Sept. 1, making five saves in 68:08 minutes in nets. Kolis improves to 2-0-0 on the season with the shutout win. Concordia’s Peter Runquist suffered the loss, allowing three goals and making five saves.
“This is such a great group of lads, they are fun to be around and they are loving life at the moment,” commented Middleton. “We just need to enjoy the moment, stay grounded, and focus on the next game. They are fun to watch though – at times you’d think they had a ball each!”
The Gustavus men’s soccer team will be back on the field Wednesday, Sept. 21 in a non-conference match against Buena Vista University. The match is set for 4:00 p.m.
– Gustavus’ 7-0 win over Concordia is the program’s largest margin of victory over a MIAC opponent since the Gusties topped Hamline 7-0 in 1983.