WINONA, Minn. – The Gustavus men’s soccer team was shut out 2-0 at Saint Mary’s University Wednesday evening, dropping its overall record to 9-5-0 overall and 4-3-0 during Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
With the win, the Cardinals snapped a 31-game winless streak against Gustavus, as the last Saint Mary’s victory over the Gusties dated all the way back to 1985.
Saint Mary’s outshot the Gusties by a slim margin of 11-10, while the shots on goal mark proved the be the factor, with the Cardinals posted seven shots on goal compared to just one from Gustavus. Each team totaled four corner kick opportunities.
The Cardinals scored within the first ten minutes and took their 1-0 lead into the intermission, as Garrett Grunke tallied the eventual game-winner.
“We conceded the first goal that was against the run of play,” said Head Coach Mike Middleton. “That was the key moment in the game. It gave them great energy and belief. We had to respond, and did quite well. We hit the crossbar several times, and the post but didn’t convert chances created.”
In the second half, the Black and Gold were unable to generate much offense, limited to two shots on goal and one corner kick opportunity. The Cardinals’ leading scorer Sean Butcher scored at the 72nd minute to give Saint Mary’s the 2-0 cushion.
Arthur Parens (Jr., Wayzata, Minn.) led the attack with three shots, while Matt Bateman (Jr., Savage, Minn.) made five saves in net.
“We started sluggishly in the second half with them chasing every lost cause. We dominated the second period of the half, but conceded a second after pushing forward for the equalizer. We’ll have to see if we have the character to bounce back,” Middleton commented.
Gustavus returns to Gustie Soccer Field Saturday afternoon, hosting Saint John’s University for the 50 season celebration game.