Written by Student Assistant Jake Bilyeu

SALEM, Ore. – The Pacific Lutheran University men's soccer team wrapped up its first weekend of Northwest Conference play with a tough 2-1 setback at Willamette University on Sunday afternoon. PLU had a late push to come back from a two-goal deficit but it ultimately fell short as the Lutes dropped their first game since their opening weekend in Atlanta.

The Lutes (3-3-1, 1-1 NWC) outshot Willamette 10-0 in the first half, but the Bearcats (3-3, 2-0 NWC) held them scoreless. They then took the first lead of the game when Max Berner-Hays scored in the 63rd minute. His teammate Nicholas Ballenger scored in the 67th minute, pushing their lead over the Lutes to 2-0.

From there, the Lutes began battling back into the game, coming up with an own goal in the 78th minute after a ball riccocheted off a Bearcat defender and into the net. Both teams fought back and forth for possession, and the Lutes earned opportunities to score late, but came up empty handed, as the Bearcats held on to a 2-1 victory.

"We did not play well today, we were not efficient in how we moved the ball and we took too many shortcuts," head coach John Yorke said. "The opportunity was there for us to win the game a few times and we didn't seize it, and it made for a disappointing way to end the weekend."

The loss may have caught the rolling Lutes off guard, and they'll need to regroup this week as they prepare to host Whitman College and Whitworth University next week.

"We need to improve on our consistency," Yorke said. "The ability to be in good form and have good energy and make good decisions on a more consistent basis is what we will need to get better at if we want to accomplish our goals."

The Lutes return to the pitch on Saturday, hosting Whitworth at 12 p.m. at East Field.