SAINT PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus men’s soccer team is set to host Saint John’s at 2 p.m. Wednesday for a MIAC semifinal playoff matchup at the Gustie Soccer Field. As the league’s No. 1 seed, the No. 5 nationally-ranked Gusties earned a first round bye while the Johnnies captured a 1-0 upset win at Macalester today.
GUSTIES IN THE MIAC PLAYOFFS
The MIAC Men’s Soccer Playoffs began in 2003 and since then Gustavus has made 16 appearances with a record of 13-9, including a league-best seven championships. This year’s playoff appearance is the sixth consecutive for Gustavus after being upset in the semifinals last season against Saint John’s. The Gusties last won the league playoff in 2019 when they defeated Saint John’s 6-2 in the semifinals and St. Thomas 3-1 in the championship.
THE SERIES
Wednesday’s game marks the 73rd all-time meeting between Gustavus and Saint John’s on the soccer pitch with the Gusties holding a 34-25-13 advantage in the series. The all-time MIAC playoff series between the two teams is deadlocked at 3-3. This is the third consecutive season the Gusties and Johnnies will match up in the semifinals with Gustavus serving as the home team. Saint John’s beat Gustavus 2-1 last season, there was no playoff in 2020 due to COVID, and in 2019 the Gusties beat the Johnnies 6-2 in game played at Bethany Lutheran College.
This season, the Gusties defeated the Johnnies 5-0 on Sept. 24 in Saint Peter. Owen Johnson (Jr., Apple Valley) scored what proved to the be the game-winning goal 11:46 into the game with the help of Rivaldo Pena (Fy., Rochester). Six minutes later, Alex Krumenauer (Jr., Otsego) tallied his third goal of the season, assisted by Otis Anderson (Jr., Minneapolis). In the 35th minute, Raphael Cattelin (Jr., Edina) scored his first goal of the season with an assist from Johnson and the score remained 3-0 at half.
The Gusties appeared to have locked in a 3-0 final decision, but with 4:11 left in the game, Johnson intercepted a pass at midfield, weaved through two defenders and scored his second goal of the game (team-leading fourth of the season). And for good measure, Jack Knight (Jr., Verona, Wis.) found Ethan Miller (So., St. Cloud) for an easy tap-in goal with 39 seconds left in the game.
The Gustie defense was dominant again with its sixth shutout of the season, allowing just two shots on goal as Wesley Sanders (Sr., Urbandale, Iowa) made saves on both shots he faced. The Gusties outshot the Johnnies 14-9 and had a 7-3 advantage in corner kicks.
SCOUTING THE GUSTIES
Gustavus captured its 17th MIAC regular season championship with a 9-0-1 league record this season. The Gusties boast a 13-0-4 overall record and completed an undefeated regular season for the first time since 1970. Through 17 games this season, the Gusties average 2.3 goals and allow a league-best 0.53 goals per game, which is tied for 12th best in NCAA Division III. Owen Johnson leads the team with 21 points on seven goals and seven assists. Alex Krumenauer is next with 15 points on six goals and three assists. Wesley Sanders has started 16 of 17 games with a 0.50 goals against average, .846 save percentage, and 10 shutouts – all marks that lead the MIAC. His goals against average ranks 13th in Division III and his 10 clean sheets are tied for second in the country.
SCOUTING THE JOHNNIES
Saint John’s, the No. 6 seed in the MIAC playoffs, enter the semifinals with an 8-6-3 overall record and went 4-5-1 in the league. The Johnnies average 1.9 goals and allow 1.2 goals per game. Matt D. Anderson, Ryan Erickson, and Carter Hermanson each have 11 points to pace the offense. Anderson, along with Alex Bowman, lead the team with five goals apiece. Hermanson leads the squad with seven assists. Evan Siefkan has spent the most time at keeper with a 1.32 goals against average, .784 save percentage, and 7-6-3 record.