St. Peter, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus women’s soccer team opened Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play with a 2-1 loss to Carleton on Wednesday at the Gustie Soccer Field. Trailing 1-0 late in the second half, the Gusties came back to tie the score with just over six minutes left in regulation. However, the Knights went on to score what would prove to be the game-winner with just :34 remaining to capture the 2-1 win. Gustavus drops to 3-2-0 overall and 0-1-0 in the MIAC, while Carleton improves to 2-3-1 overall and 1-0-0 in the MIAC.
The Knights got out to an early 1-0 lead in the 11th minute when Ellie Wilson scored from the right wing. Wilson blasted a shot that went off the hands of Gustavus goalkeeper Caroline Olson (Jr., York, Pa.) and into the back of the net. It was Wilson’s second goal of the season.
Carleton would hold the Gustie offense in check for the remainder of the opening 45 minutes and take the 1-0 lead to halftime. The Knights outshot the Gusties 15-4 in the first half on their way to a 24-8 advantage for the match.
“We knew it was going to be tough,” admitted Head Coach Laura Burnett-Kurie. “Carleton is a great team, and the first conference game is always the toughest because everyone wants to get out to a good start. We got down early, but we were able to keep playing our style of soccer, which was good to see.”
Gustavus came back to tie the score with 6:05 remaining in regulation. Amanda Cartony (Sr., Stillwater, Minn.) got behind the Carleton defense and took advantage of a one-on-one opportunity with Carleton goaltender Mikayla Coulombe. Cartony buried the ball in the back of the net to bring the score to 1-1, but all momentum gained by the goal would soon be extinguished when the Knights scored what would be the game-winner with just :34 left. Following a corner kick, Arielle Koshkin fired a shot that was originally saved by Caroline Olson, but Amanda Owensby found herself in the right place, at the right time for the rebound. Owensby put it away to lift Carleton to the 2-1 victory.
“It’s tough to swallow when you loose with :34 left, but the season is still young,” closed Burnett-Kurie. “We still have a lot to look forward to this season. After a loss like this, the biggest thing keeping your confidence up and believing that you can win games.”
The Gusties will take to the road on Saturday when they travel to Moorhead, Minn. for an MIAC showdown with Concordia. Kick off for that match is set for 1:00 p.m.