PARKLAND - A pair of defensive errors cost Pacific Lutheran two
goals, and the Lutes hit the woodwork three times on the offensive
end as the visiting Linfield Wildcats defeated the host Lutes, 3-2,
in a Northwest Conference men's soccer match played Sunday on a
sloppy PLU field.
With the win, the Wildcats (2-3-1 overall, 1-1-0 NWC) ended a
six-match losing streak to Pacific Lutheran (2-4-1, 1-1-0). It was
also the first win against PLU for Linfield head coach Ian
Lefebvre.
Possession and shots were pretty evenly split in the opening 45
minutes, both teams taking six shots. PLU keeper Brian Kostol was
called on to make saves on long-range blasts by Danny Snelgrow and
Tyler Repic, while Linfield keeper John Thompson got his fingertips
to a drive by Mark Lee, tipping the ball off the crossbar and out
for a corner kick.
Linfield was the first team to break through, however, as Michel
Camacho took a cross from Repic on the right side and slotted the
ball under Kostol and into the far-side netting. The goal came at
29:45, and that scoreline held up into the early minutes of the
second half.
That's when the Lutes made a pair of defensive mistakes that led
to two Linfield goals. The first came when a ball passed into the
box bounced past Kostol, where Carter Elhabbassi dove to head it
home at 51:57. A little less than three minutes later, an otherwise
harmless ball bounced between Kostol and center back Greg Noll.
Harper Taylor saw the opportunity, racing past the two and easily
tapping in the third Linfield goal.
After that, PLU started to assert itself. First, with about 33
minutes remaining, Chad Kearns scored what appeared to be a goal
after pouncing on Thompson's bobble and scoring. The goal was
disallowed, however, as the referee indicated that the ball was in
Thompson's possession.
The Lutes finally got on the board at 70:16 when Daniele
Zaccagnini slotted home a left-footed shot from eight yards out,
with the assist going to Shane Gutierrez. Reserve goalie Joe
Rayburn made a big save of Danny Snelgrow's short-range shot with
seven minutes to go, and the Lutes converted their second goal less
than 90 seconds later on the other end of the field.
About 30 seconds after Mark Lee's shot hit the left crossbar,
Lucas McCallum made it 3-2 at 84:35, tapping home from in front on
Lee's low cross from the right side.
The final five minutes produced a flurry of PLU offense, several
excellent scoring chances, and no Lutes goals. First, McCallum's
blast from the left was saved by reserve keeper Cody Tipton, and
Lee's follow shot was cleared off the line by the Linfield defense.
With just under two minutes remaining, Kearns beat Tipton with a
header, only to see the ball bounce off the cross bar. Two more PLU
shots were off target, and the Wildcats had the win.
PLU outshot the visitors, 20-9, but both teams had six shots on
goal. Thompson had two saves, Tipton had another, and there was
also the team save. Kostol finished with two saves and Rayburn had
one for the Lutes. PLU had four corner kicks to three for
Linfield.
PLU returns to Northwest Conference action next weekend, playing
at Whitman on Saturday and at Whitworth on Sunday.
- PLU -
