SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The Gustavus women’s soccer team took its first loss of the season on Wednesday at St. Thomas with a 5-0 final score. The team is currently 2-1 overall and 0-1 in the MIAC.
After back to back wins and a tie, the Gusties looked to begin conference play when they headed to St. Paul to face the Tommies for the final time before the program transitions to Division I.
“The score line wasn’t what we wanted to see today, but we know what this team is capable of and know we can bounce back in our next game,” said Head Coach Laura Burnett-Kurie. “St. Thomas is always a talented opponent to play.”
Gustavus kept a lockdown defense in the first half of frame one before the Tommies got on the board twenty minutes into the matchup. Despite Justine Holm (So., Shakopee) making 10 saves, St. Thomas tacked on two more goals to take the 3-0 lead at halftime.
The Gusties entered the second frame rallying their rebuttal, cutting the Tommies shots in half from the first period and setting up opportunities to score. Leah Pavlish (Jr., Prior Lake) made show-stopping saves, but St. Thomas was able to tally on two more goals for the rainy 5-0 final.
“We had moments where we moved the ball well and periods of time during the game where we were dangerous. We weren’t consistent enough to get the result, but our coaching staff is incredible proud of how we continued to fight and keep the energy high until the final whistle. It’s those intangibles that make this team special and we are looking forward to bouncing back. Both our goalkeepers, Justine Holm and Leah Pavlish had some special saves. They were tough in net and deserve recognition for their performances today.”