SAINT PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus men’s soccer team hosts Augsburg at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in a matchup featuring the top two teams in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Gusties, off to their best start since 2012 with a 6-1-1 overall record, are 3-0-1 in the MIAC with 10 points in the standings, while the Auggies are 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the league for nine points.
The Series: Saturday’s matchup marks the 65th all-time meeting between Gustavus and Augsburg, with the Gusties holding a 40-18-6 record over the Auggies. The two teams last faced each other Sept. 30, 2017 in Minneapolis, Minn. with the Gusties winning 2-1.
Scouting the Gusties: Gustavus most recently defeated St. Olaf on Tuesday at the Gustie Soccer Field. Luke Laurich (Jr., Batavia, Ill.) played the role of hero, knocking home the game-winning goal with less than three minutes remaining in regulation. Through eight matches this season, Arthur Parens (Sr., Wayzata, Minn.) leads the team and MIAC with five goals for 10 points. Will Richards (Jr., Hudson, Wis.) is second in scoring with two goals and three assists for seven points. Anders Severson (Sr., Woodbury, Minn.) has started five matches in goal and boasts a 0.38 goals against average (2nd/MIAC) and a .931 save percentage (1st/MIAC).
Scouting the Auggies: Augsburg most recently defeated Saint John’s 1-0 on Tuesday. A penalty kick goal by Lionel Vang in the 30th minute proved to be the game-winner. Through seven matches this season, Nick Zuchowski leads the team and MIAC with five goals. He also has three assists for a total of 13 points. Daniel Hedstrom is next on the stat sheet with four goals. Garrett Kaelin has started four matches in goal with a 0.82 goals against average and a .857 save percentage.