SAINT PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus men’s soccer team opened the NCAA tournament Saturday morning in freezing cold temperatures and came away with a 2-0 shutout victory over Aurora University. The Gusties improve to 15-1-4 overall and will host UW-Eau Claire in the regional championship at 1 p.m. Sunday.
It didn’t take long for the Gusties to score what proved to be the game-winning goal as Aurora was whistled for a foul just outside its own 18, allowing a free kick opportunity for the home team. Otis Anderson (Jr., Minneapolis) lined up for the set piece and drove home his sixth goal of the season into the right side of the net for a 1-0 lead at the 8:42 mark.
Carlos Robles (So., Minneapolis) and Owen Johnson (Jr., Apple Valley) created a scoring opportunity for Clarence Weah (So., Minnetonka) in the 36th minute as Weah knocked home his third goal of the season from directly in front of the goal. The Gusties led 2-0 at half and maintained that lead for the rest of the game.
Wesley Sanders (Sr., Urbandale, Iowa) completed his NCAA-leading 12th shutout of the season after making four saves. The Gusties outshot the Spartans 17-10. Corner kicks were in favor of the Gusties 4-1.