Written by Student Assistant Jake Bilyeu

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Pacific Lutheran University men's soccer team wrapped up their non-conference schedule Tuesday evening, holding off Northwest Christian University in the final minutes to secure a 2-1 win at East Field.

The Lutes (3-2-1) struck first on the 36th minute when Eddie Na won the ball and scored an unassisted goal, his 4th of the season. PLU doubled its lead just a minute before halftime when Hayden Simon passed the ball across the field to Holton Halfaker, who scored put the Lutes up 2-0 in the 44th minute.

The Beacons (4-1) responded in the 57th minute, cutting into the lead when Raul Segoviano scored an unassisted goal. Despite outshooting the Lutes 6-3 in the second half, the Beacons were unable to add another goal, as the Lute defense held off several frantic attacks from their visitors late in the game to earn the victory.

"Today wasn't our best game," said Head Coach John Yorke. "However, we were in a rough situation with three games in four days."

Despite Yorke's frustration with the team's play in Tuesday's non-conference finale, he is still very pleased with their progress heading into conference play.

"Overall, I'm really happy with what we've done so far this season, we've grown every game," Yorke said. "Even today, we got some things to help us in the future. We're definitely tested and ready."

Heading into Northwest Conference on what was ultimately a high note means a lot to Yorke and the team, especially with all of the changes the roster has been through."One of our goals is to have a winning record into conference play," Yorke said. "We've been building a team with so many new players, I'm happy to be moving on to conference in this position."

The Lutes head to Oregon this weekend for their first two conference games. They'll face George Fox University Saturday and Pacific University on Sunday, both at 2 p.m.