(Photo courtesy of Alex Nadeau)
SAINT PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus men’s soccer team will host St. Thomas at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato at 1 p.m. Saturday for the MIAC Championship match. Something has to give in Saturday’s contest, as the Gusties (16-3) claim one of the top offenses in the country, while the Tommies (13-3-3) have one of the strongest defenses in the country.
The Series: Saturday’s contest marks the 64th all-time meeting between the two teams with Gustavus currently holding a 28-25-12 edge. The Gusties and Tommies matched up on Sept. 18 with the Gusties taking a 2-1 victory. The Gusties got a goal from Cole Schwartz (So., Jakarta, Indonesia) just 9:37 in but St. Thomas quickly answered to even things at 14:04. After a scoreless rest of the first half, Trace Dobson (Jr., Sioux Falls, S.D.) put Gustavus on top in the 63rd minute with the game-winning goal. Wesley Sanders (Fy., Urbandale, Iowa) made six saves in net while allowing one goal.
Gusties the MIAC Playoffs: The MIAC Men’s Soccer Playoffs began in 2003 and since then Gustavus has made 14 appearances with a record of 12-8, including a league-best six championships. The Black and Gold has made six appearances in the MIAC Championship game, going a perfect 6-0. The Gusties and Tommies have met twice previously in the MIAC Playoffs with both coming in the semifinals and Gustavus winning both matchups, most recently 1-0 in 2012.
Scouting the Gusties: Gustavus, who is third in Division III with 3.63 points per game, are lead by a three-headed attack of Schwartz, Raphael Cattelin (Fy., Edina), and Matt Gibbons (Jr., Minneapolis) up front who have been apart of 54 of the teams 69 goals thus far this year. The Gusties are the only team in the nation with multiple players in the top 40 for points per game and they have three; Cattelin (2.65), Schwartz (2.65), and Gibbons (1.80) rank fifth, sixth, and 40th, respectively. Sanders has started all 19 games in net, making 63 saves while allowing 18 goals for a save percentage of .778.
Scouting the Tommies: St. Thomas has been on a roll since the two teams first met, winning 11 straight contests, and outscoring opponents 32-4 in that span. The Tommies use an all-around attack with juniors Halvor Houg and Jacob Makela leading the team with 16 and 14 points, respectively. Troy Louwagie, the team’s goalkeeper, has been a huge reason for the teams success, making nine starts and playing in 10 matches, making 18 saves and allowing two goals for a save percentage of .900. Louwagie’s goals against average of .222 leads the nation by a healthy margin as the nearest Division III keeper is at .402.
The address for Bethany Lutheran is 700 Luther Drive, Mankato, Minn. and the soccer field is located on the south east side of campus, near Mayo Clinic Hospital. Parking is available on the north end of the field. Fans attending the game are urged to use caution when making their way around the complex due to icy conditions.
Ticket Prices
MIAC Admission
$10 – General Admission
$2 – Students with ID
Free – Children 5 and under
*MIAC passes accepted