SAINT PETER, Minn. – Two first half goals gave the Gustavus women’s soccer team early momentum which it rode to a 3-1 victory over Augsburg on Tuesday afternoon. The Gusties improve to 6-7 overall and 3-4 in the MIAC, while the Auggies drop to 7-4-2 overall and 4-2-1 in the league.
Katie Ashpole (Sr., Chaska) gave the Gusties an early 1-0 lead in the 14th minute as Lillian Selberg (Fy., Minneapolis) found Ashpole directly in front of the net for a tap-in shot – marking her team-leading fifth goal of the season. Nearly 10 minutes later, Brianna Monahan (Fy., Medina) had a high-arching shot from 30 yards out that deflected off the left post. The rebound went directly to Rachel Rehnelt (Sr., Albert Lea) for another tap-in goal. The Gusties carried a 2-0 lead into halftime.
Augsburg looked to have cut the deficit in half following a corner kick goal in the 65th minute, but the Auggies were called for obstruction and the goal was disallowed. Just 13 seconds later, the Gusties went the length of the field and Ella Carlson (So., Champlin Park) scored her first goal of the season after collecting the rebound on a header. Rehnelt had the crossing pass from the right sideline for a 3-0 advantage.
The Auggies ended the shutout in the 82nd minute but it was too little, too late as the Gusties held on for the 3-1 decision.
The Gusties outshot the visitors 10-5 as Abby Goodno (Sr., Little Canada) made three saves – one of them a diving catch with her arms fully extended.
”The heart, courage and trust this team showed today is something we have been working towards all year,” Head Coach Laura Burnett-Kurie said. “The last stretch hasn’t been easy, but we’ve stayed true to who we are as a team and believed in our potential. We are so proud of this team not only today, but so far this season. We committed to our game plan, communicated for 90 minutes and were brave in pivotal moments of the game. To score three great goals against a very strong competitor speaks volumes. The first half we showed our true Gustie tempo and it was fun to watch. We are celebrating this great performance, while knowing we must keep pushing to that next level.
“A big difference maker today was the heart shown from every member of our team. Our bench, for a full 90 minutes, got to a new level of support and cheering. This was an entire team performance today. Tomorrow will be another great day as we have our first reserve game at RCTC.”
Gustavus hits the road Saturday for a 3:30 p.m. matchup at St. Olaf.