SAINT LOUIS, Mo. - Two goals in the opening half proved too much for the Pacific Lutheran University men's soccer team to overcome on Friday evening, stumbling 2-0 to host Washington University in Saint Louis in a non-conference match at Francis Field.

The host Bears (1-1-1) wasted little time getting on the board with Will Sproule scoring just 52 seconds into the contest off a rebounded shot. Homestanding WashU doubled its advantage in the 37th minute with Julian Gancman capitalizing on a misplayed ball by the Lute defense for what turned out to be the final score of the game.

WashU held a 19-5 edge in shots, including nine of the 12 taken on frame.

Lute goalkeeper Cole Weaver finished with seven saves in 90 minutes of work while his counterpart, Matt Martin, secured the clean sheet after making three stops.

"Our performance was poor today," said Head Coach John Yorke. "I obviously did not prepare our team well enough for what we faced today. Credit to WashU for their plan and work as they made the game very hard for us. On Sunday we need to be more accountable to the things that we define as our guiding principles and eliminate unforced mistakes. We have a good team and a competitive group of guys. They're not happy about the last two results and I believe they will be engaged and ready for Sunday."

The Lutes (1-2) return to the pitch on Sunday morning, facing Fontbonne University at 11 a.m. (Central Time) to close out the squad's weekend stay in the Gateway City.