MORAGA, Calif. - The Gaels are no strangers to road battles this season as they just finished a five-game road trip before the start of conference play which featured ranked games against No. 19 Kansas City and No. 8 Stanford. They will head to Corvallis for their first road conference game this week and take on #19 Oregon State who re-entered the national poll after their 2-1 victory over San Francisco last week.
Saint Mary's came-from-behind to earn another point in their WCC opener against Seattle U as senior captain
Bastian Toelhoej converted a penalty kick in the 96th minute for his fourth goal of the season. The Gaels are still seeking their first win of the season but have been in every match they've played and are certainly battle tested with a tough non-conference schedule. Saturday's kickoff is slated for 7:00 PM and the match can be streamed live on ESPN+.
GAME INFORMATION AND COVERAGE
MSOC | Saint Mary's at #19 Oregon State | Paul Lorenz Field
Corvallis, Ore. | October 4th | 7:00 PM
Live Stats |
ESPN+ |
Tickets
GAELS OUTLOOK
WCC Opening Draw vs. Seattle U…
Saint Mary's put together one of their better offensive performances from start to finish in their WCC opener last week against Seattle U. Despite allowing a goal in the opening minute, the Gaels bounced back with 14 shots and several dangerous chances inside the 18-yard box.
The Gaels had every right to score a goal or two but a pair of saves from the Redhawks keeper and some shots off target kept Seattle U in the lead. The game nearly got away from Saint Mary's after a penalty was awarded to Seattle off a hand ball inside the box.
Sam Bentley came up with a huge save though to keep it a one-score game.
Just two minutes later, the Gaels would earn a penalty of their own, also off a hand ball inside the box.
Bastian Toelhoej stepped up and converted his third penalty kick of the season to tie the game 1-1 and help earn a well deserved point for the Gaels.
Toelhoej Automatic From the Spot…
Bastian Toelhoej has emerged as a true leader for the Saint Mary's men's soccer team over the past two seasons and has shown that leadership in more ways than one. One of those includes being the designated PK taker for the Gaels as Toelhoej is a combined 6-for-6 from the spot over the last two seasons.
Toelhoej ranked second on the team with three goals a season ago and currently leads the Gaels with four goals this season, three of which have come via the penalty.
Series History…
Saint Mary's and Oregon State squared off for the first time as WCC members last season and for the first time since 2021. The Beavers have won the last two meetings and own an all-time record of 5-4 in their nine total matchups.
Saint Mary's will head to Corvallis for the first time since 2021 but are a combined 1-3 on the road dating back to 1991. The Gaels last road win over the Beavers came in that 1991 matchup in what was a 3-0 victory under head coach Bob Martin.
ABOUT THE BEAVERS (5-3-0, 1-0-0)
In their second year as affiliate members of the West Coast Conference, Oregon State was picked to finish second in this year's preseason coaches poll with 67 points and one first place vote. The Beavers also had two returners named to the WCC Preseason team in Arnau Farnos and Fabian Straudi.
This season, OSU enters the second week of conference play with a 5-3 overall record and a 1-0 record in WCC play after their 2-1 road win over San Francisco. With the win, the Beavers jumped to 19th in this week's United Soccer Coaches poll for their second highest ranking of the season. The Beavers were ranked 14th in the country after their season opening wins over UCSB and UW back in August.
Additional wins this season include San Diego State, CSU Fullerton, Washington and UC Santa Barbara. Arnau Farnos leads the WCC with six goals and also has three assists this season. Iker Carbonell Garcia also ranks second in the conference with five assists.
Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday, October 4th under the lights at 7:00 PM. Tickets can be bought online at smcgaels.com and you can catch all the action live on ESPN+. Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
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