With a big crowd on hand and a majority of the student-body in their Halloween attire, it was a playoff atmosphere at the Gustie Soccer Field on Saturday afternoon. The match was as tightly-contested as a post-season contest as well. Both teams found scoring chances few and far between, as the Gustavus and Macalester men’s soccer teams played to a 1-1 tie in the regular season finale.
After Doug Frey scored the go-ahead goal at the 80:17 mark, Gustavus controlled its own destiny. Macalester would not go quietly into the St. Peter afternoon and it didn’t take long for Scots to answer. Sophomore Chris Kartheiser found the ball on his foot inside the box, burying it home :35 after the Frey goal to tie the match at 1-1. Neither team could notch the game-winner in regulation or extra time and the match finished in a tie.
With the tie, Gustavus finishes the season in third place in the conference with 21 points at 6-1-3 in the MIAC and 14-1-3 overall. Macalester currently sits in fourth place with 19 points at 6-3-1 in the MIAC and 10-7-1 overall.
Macalester had several good looks in the first half, outshooting the Gusties 6-4 in the frame. Gustavus keeper Brett Ylonen made three saves in the first half including a sprawling turn-away on a Jeremy Carp header from directly in front of the net at the 40:01 point.
The Scots outshot the Gusties 21-12 in the match and carried a 9-5 edge in the second half and a 6-3 advantage in the two overtimes.
A rush up the left side by Grant Steine and Zach Brown led to the go-ahead goal by Doug Frey. Steine dropped a pass off for Brown who one-timed a rocket from the top-right corner of the box. Brown’s shot deflected off Macalester goalkeeper Matt Weyer right onto the foot of Frey who was waiting on the doorstep for the easy put-back. The goal was Frey’s sixth of the year.
The Scots would not let their playoff hopes die as it took them no time to come up with an answer. After being batted around the box between several players and both teams, the ball found its way into the possession of Chris Kartheiser. The sophomore delivered a no-doubt laser into the top left corner of the goal, tying the match at 1-1.
Brett Ylonen went the complete 110:00 minutes between the goal posts, recording seven saves and moving to 12-1-3 on the year. Macalester keeper Matt Weyer tallied four saves in a complete-game effort, moving to 6-7-1 on the year.
The Gustavus men’s soccer team will compete in the first round of the MIAC Playoffs on Wednesday, Nov. 2 when it travels to Northfield, Minn. to take on Carleton. Game time is yet to be determined. The Gusties and Knights played to a 1-1 tie in their last meeting earlier this season on Oct. 1 in Northfield – a game that featured a combined 36 shots between the two squads.
It was senior day at the Gustie Soccer Field this afternoon as six seniors were honored for their commitment to the Gustavus men’s soccer program over the past four years. The Athletic Department would like extend another thank you to seniors Ben Kolis, Doug Frey, Kyle Sadler, Justin Eglseder, Mark Adams, and Ben Ceder for their hard work and dedication.
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