Championship Saturday
For the first time ever, the Gustavus Adolphus College women’s soccer and volleyball teams will square off on the same day as they compete for their respective Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Playoff Championship. The Gustavus women’s soccer team will travel to the University of St. Thomas for a 1 p.m. matchup, while the volleyball team will host Bethel University in Lund Center at 7 p.m.
“It’s been a truly exciting year to follow both teams. They’ve both had great success and now it’s culminating in both of them competing for MIAC Championships on the same day,” Director of Athletics Tom Brown said. “It’s been outstanding to see not only the great parent and local community support, but our students have been coming out in droves. We always have great fans at Gustavus.”
Brown also highlighted head coaches Laura Burnett-Kurie (soccer) and Rachelle Sherden (volleyball). “They are both young coaches who were hired within a year of each other, and it’s been a pleasure to see them grow professionally as their players have developed,” he said. “I’m very proud of their accomplishments.”
Even without the two championship battles, the day is a busy one for Gustavus Athletics. Men’s and women’s swimming and diving host UW-Stevens Point and MSU, Mankato at 1 p.m., the football team hosts Concordia College at 1 p.m., and men’s hockey plays at UW-Stout at 7:30 p.m. The athletic department will also induct nine new members into the Gustavus Athletic Hall of Fame with a presentation at halftime and banquet following the football game.
Gustavus Women’s Soccer
After going 2-13-3 overall (1-8-2 MIAC) and finishing 11th in the conference last season, the Gustavus women’s soccer team finished second in the MIAC during the 2015 regular season after surging to a 12-6-1 overall record (8-3 MIAC). The Gusties defeated Concordia College 2-0 on Wednesday afternoon to punch their ticket to the 2015 MIAC Championship game against St. Thomas.
St. Thomas enters the game as the No. 1 seed in the MIAC Playoffs after securing the regular season championship with a conference record of 8-2-1 (12-5-1 overall). In the teams’ most recent matchup, the Gusties edged the Tommies 2-1 on Sept. 26 in St. Peter.
Championship Details…
Who: Gustavus women’s soccer at St. Thomas
Where: University of St. Thomas — South Field
When: 1 p.m.
Visit the Gustavus Athletics website for a full game preview.
Gustavus Volleyball
The Gustavus volleyball team dropped its first two matches of the 2015 season. Since then, they’ve racked up a program record 26-straight wins en route to a MIAC Regular Season Championship. After securing a first-round bye in the playoffs, the Gusties defeated Saint Mary’s University in straight sets on Thursday night and will host Bethel University in the MIAC Playoff Championship on Saturday, Nov. 7.
Bethel finished second in the conference during the regular season, compiling a MIAC record of 9-2 (22-8 overall). Gustavus won the regular-season matchup 3-1 (28-26, 27-25, 15-25, 25-15) on Sept. 16 in Arden Hills.
Championship Details…
Who: Gustavus volleyball vs. Bethel
Where: Gustavus Adolphus College — Lund Center
When: 7 p.m
Live stats
Live video
Radio: New Ulm’s KNUJ 860 AM.
Visit the Gustavus Athletics website for a full game preview.
The first 200 Gustavus student fans who are members of The Hill Crew will receive free admission to the match.
Keeping up with the Gusties
Remember to check the Gustavus Athletics website regularly for game stories, previews, features, and other Golden Gustie news. Gustavus Athletics is also active on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Be sure to use #GoGusties to show your support for all the Gustavus athletic teams!
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