Despite five saves by goalkeeper Tarynn Theilig, the St. Thomas women’s soccer team fell to Gustavus 1-0 in the MIAC championship game Saturday afternoon at South Field.
The Gusties (13-6-1 overall, 8-3-0 MIAC) led the two teams in forward possessions, keeping the Tommies (12-6-1 overall, 8-2-1 MIAC) on their toes defensively. Gustie midfielder Chaselyn Miller scored the first and only goal of the game off of a corner kick in the 53rd minute of the second half, to seal Gustavus’ victory and its first-ever MIAC playoff title.
Coach Sheila McGill credited the loss to a lack of readiness in the first half.
“Our first half we really didn’t show up to play, unfortunately. So because of that we had to play catch-up defense,” McGill said. “But you can’t only play 45 minutes of a game; you have to play 90.”
Midfielder Hayley Engel agreed that the team had a rough start, but said communication and positivity kept the Tommie defense strong through adversity.
“We really just tried to defend together in the first half,” Engel said. “They really came on us strong in the first half … We just tried to keep talking, and stay positive, and tell each other ‘Let’s just get through the first half and move on.’”
Both offenses played aggressive games, but an inability to maintain possession in the midfield led to a high number of turnovers. Engel said the Tommies knew they had to be alert for quick possession changes after their last face-off with Gustavus in St. Peter, which resulted in a 2-1 Gustie victory.
“We knew they like to play a lot of quick passes,” Engel said. “We were just trying to play a defensive game and play together as a team.”
Even without a championship title, the Tommies still have a shot at an at-large NCAA bid. McGill is uncertain about the team’s chances, but said they shouldn’t let their postseason apprehension overshadow their regular-season success moving forward.
“We lost a couple of early regional games that will hinder us,” McGill said. “So if anything, we need to make sure we’re coming together, and that each of them realizes what they accomplished is amazing.”
Engel said the girls know they should use the loss as a chance to improve.
“I think this is a great year for us. We had a strong season,” Engel said. “We know we need to take this game as an experience to build from and just get better.”
The Tommies will find out early next week whether or not they receive a bid for the NCAA tournament when the bracket is released with the tournament beginning November 13.
Lauren Andrego can be reached at lauren.andrego@stthomas.edu.