By Jake Bilyeu, PLU Sports Information Student Writer

TACOMA – The Pacific Lutheran men's soccer team returned to form with a 3-1 win Tuesday night against Northwest Conference cross-town rival Puget Sound.

The win brought PLU's conference record to 5-2, tying the Lutes with UPS for second place in the Northwest Conference. PLU improved to 9-4 overall, while Puget Sound fell to 7-5.

After waiting an extra few days for the road rivalry match due to rain postponing Saturday's contest, the Lutes aimed to get going quickly. The team did just that when a Suwilanji Silozi shot found the back of the net off of a Bennett Bugbee assist in the 19th minute for the first score of the game. The Lutes held off the opposing offense for the rest of the half despite a 9-5 UPS shot advantage, and PLU entered intermission with a 1-0 lead.

"The guys responded really well to the weird schedule this week and had a great approach," PLU head coach John Yorke said.

The Lutes kept applying the pressure to the home team in the second half, out-shooting the Loggers 8-5 after the break. The Lutes reaped the benefits early when they punctured UPS's defense again with an unassisted goal from Sidney Ecoiffier in the 51st minute, Ecoiffier's first collegiate score.

"We showed some great character in some tough moments, and I was really happy with how we competed," Yorke said. "It was very cool for Sidney's first goal as a Lute to be such an important one."

The Lutes didn't maintain their 2-0 lead for long, though, as UPS's Sam Zisette drove in a goal off of a Cameron Lorek assist in the 57th minute to make it a one-goal match.

In the 73rd minute, Bugbee restored PLU's two-goal lead when he took a pass from Joe Sammartino and put it in by the near post. While UPS finished the match with the 14-12 lead in the shot column, the Lutes took advantage of their opportunities, as seven of their shots were on goal, compared to just four of the Loggers' shots.

The win keeps the Lutes in the hunt for a chance at the Northwest Conference Championship. They'll continue their journey toward that goal when they visit Willamette (3-8-1, 2-5 NWC) and Linfield (7-6, 3-4 NWC) this weekend.