ST. PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus men’s soccer team is set to close out the 2017 regular season with a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference matchup versus Macalester College Saturday afternoon during senior day.
The Gusties (12-5 overall, 6-3 MIAC) will take on the Scots (10-4-2, 7-2 MIAC) at 1 p.m. at Gustie Soccer Field.
With a win over Macalester, Gustavus would earn the No. 2 seed in the MIAC Playoffs. With a tie, the Gusties would receive the No. 3 seed, and a loss would result in Gustavus receiving the No. 4 seed.
Last time out
Coming into Tuesday’s matchup at Hamline, the Gusties had already solidified a spot in the MIAC Playoffs. An overtime goal by Alex Wilson (Sr., Ashland, Wis.) gave Gustavus a 1-0 victory over the Pipers to help the Black and Gold secure a home playoff matchup. Wilson scored his third goal of the season at the 99th minute, heading in the game-winner off a pass from Matt Gibbons (Fy., Minneapolis, Minn.). Goalkeeper Matt Bateman (Jr., Savage, Minn.) tallied six saves to record his fifth shutout of the season.
Senior day
A special tribute is made to the individuals who have dedicated themselves to Gustavus men’s soccer for the past four years. This year, the athletic department, Head Coach Mike Middleton, the coaching staff, parents and fans salute the five seniors who have represented the Gustavus men’s soccer program with pride and class throughout their collegiate careers. This year’s group of seniors includes John Anderson (Maplewood, Minn.), Alex Wilson (Ashland, Wis.), Brad Williams (Andover, Minn.), Matt Murakami (Eden Prairie, Minn.), and Clark Hickman (Merrifield, Minn.).
Gustavus Notables
- Arthur Parens (Jr., Wayzata, Minn.) is the leading scorer in the MIAC with 12 goals and three assists for 27 points.
- Parens’ four game-winners and 56 shots both rank third best in the conference.
- Goalkeeper Matt Bateman is tied for second place in the conference with 63 saves. Bateman has started all 17 games in net and notched his fifth shutout of the season on Tuesday, which is a career-high total.
- The Gusties have scored the second most goals in the conference with 35 on the season.
Macalester match up information:
- Saturday’s matchup marks the 62nd all-time meeting between the Gusties and the Scots, with Gustavus owning a 39-15-7 series advantage. Last season, Macalester defeated the Gusties 1-0 in overtime at Gustie Soccer Field.
- After going unbeaten in four conference games, the Scots most recently dropped a 2-1 decision versus Saint John’s University on Tuesday.
- With a 7-2 conference record, Macalester sits in second place in the MIAC standings with 21 points, looking to clinch the No. 2 seed with a win over the Gusties.
- Junior Colton Wenig ranks as one of the top goalkeepers in the conference, ranking first with a 0.49 goals against average, along with the second best save percentage at .837.
- Senior midfielder Jake Burke is the team’s leading scorer with four goals and six assists on the season.
- 2017 Stats | Schedule