SPORTS

Defender Sophia Coltvet (Fy., Arden Hills) watches the puck during the women’s hockey team’s first game of the 2021 season. The Gusties lost 4-2 to Bethel but rebounded with a 4-0 win over Augsburg in the next game. College hockey players aren’t required to mask up during games but coaches and staff are. There are testing protocols in place for all.

AND WE’RE BACK. SOMEWHAT.

Go (winter) Gusties!

Gustavus winter sports teams began their conference seasons the first week of February. Under the direction of the MIAC Presidents’ Council, basketball, hockey, indoor track and field, and swimming and diving were permitted to compete in a “regular season” competition.

Some pandemic-induced caveats: no winter-sport playoffs, no conference postseason championships, and no inperson spectators. Colleges in the MIAC can compete at their discretion.

At Gustavus, there will be seven MIAC contests for basketball and hockey, and up to four non-conference contests. Indoor track and field and swimming and diving programs will be able to participate in regular season meets at the discretion of each institution—there is no assigned conference schedule for these sports—however, the typical postseason conference championship meets will not be held this winter.

Gustavus gymnastics, which competes in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, will compete in four meets throughout its regular season with no postseason events.

Per October’s NCAA Division III waiver, this academic year, studentathletes may compete up to the dates of competition maximums without being charged a season of intercollegiate participation. For all sports, Gustavus will follow the safety guidelines of the NCAA Medical Advisory Board and Minnesota Department of Health, outlined in MIAC COVID-19 Competition Plan—all 18 pages of it.

No fans in stands does not mean no viewership of Golden Gusties sports. You can still catch Gustie sports via livestream on each team’s schedule page at gustavus.edu/athletics.