PARKLAND – A scoreless match for nearly 88 minutes headed for overtime after both teams scored in the last 123 seconds of regulation, but Derek Johnson's second goal of the day clinched the double-overtime men's soccer victory for sixth-ranked Pacific Lutheran over Willamette Sunday afternoon.
Pacific Lutheran improves to 8-0-2 overall and 3-0-1 in Northwest Conference play with the win, while Willamette falls to 5-3-1 overall and 1-2-1 in the NWC. The Lutes remain home for their next two matches, hosting Whitworth and Whitman next weekend with 2:30 p.m. start times set for both days.
The Lutes' second consecutive double-overtime contest ended on a more positive note than Saturday's match, as Johnson took the ball from point-blank range in the middle of the box off Rigoberto Loreto's corner kick and sent it in for the match-winner in the 108th minute of play. Combined with Saturday's scoreless tie, the weekend extended PLU's undefeated stretch to the midpoint of the 20-match regular-season schedule.
"It was a good weekend," senior goalkeeper Joe Rayburn said. "We're just continuing to build, basically. We haven't really hit our stride at all, and in a way that's a good thing because we shouldn't be playing our best soccer right now."
The Lutes had numerous scoring opportunities throughout the match, out-shooting Willamette in every period for a total of 16-to-7. Eight saves by the Bearcats' Braydon Calder kept the match scoreless into the final minutes of regulation.
It looked like PLU would claim the late victory when Loreto passed to Johnson on the left side of the goal, who shot it across and into the net from 10 yards out to put the hosts on the board with just over two minutes to play. But the match was destined for overtime, as Adan Vazquez found Jesse Thompson all alone on the left side of the goal, where Thompson knocked it past Rayburn from eight yards out with only 11 seconds remaining on the clock.
The PLU offense was aggressive in the first overtime period, totaling four shots while not allowing Willamette a single attempt. But it was not until the final minutes of the second overtime that Loreto and Johnson hooked up for the second time of the afternoon to clinch the win.
With the regular season now halfway completed, the Lutes believe there are still many improvements they can make. They will play their next two matches at home before heading out on the road for five straight contests. They conclude the regular season with three consecutive home contests.
"We'll get better as the season goes on; that's our intention," Rayburn said. "If we want to contend to win this conference, we've just got to keep pushing ourselves to win these games."
