COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. --- The Pacific Lutheran Men's Soccer team concluded play in Colorado on Sunday as they earned a 2-2 draw against the Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
It was a tale of two halves for the Lutes, as they came out of the gate strong, with 10 shots in the first half of play, versus the Prairie Wolves four. But it was Nebraska Wesleyan who struck first with a very quick goal in the first minute of the game. Senior goalkeeper Lucas Hempen made the start over Nicholas Gaston on Sunday. The NWU lead didn't last long with the Lutes answering just six minutes later with a goal off the foot of senior Sammy Tafolla. Tafolla's goal is the midfielders first goal of the young season. The Lutes offense got warmed up from then on with shots coming from junior Trevor Thompson and senior Robby Guyer. Thompson fired two shots, one of which being saved by the NWU keeper. It wasn't until the 30^th minute when senior Craig Johnson found his stride once again. Johnson who scored in the first game for the Lutes on Friday, found the back of the net once again to break the tie and put the Lutes on top 2-1 early in the game. Both teams continuously substituted fresh players onto the field, as the Lutes used 11 reserves throughout the game, including a mid-game switch to the veteran goalkeeper in Gaston. As the first half concluded, the Lutes remained leading 2-1.
 
The second half was a change in momentum in the Prairie Wolves favor. The Lutes weren't able to put the offensive pressure on the Wolves as they did in the first half. Nebraska Wesleyan started to find a groove at the mid-way point of the second half, where they drew a penalty kick off of a foul on junior Jordan Ross. NWU was able to execute on the penalty and tie the game at two a piece. From then on, the Lutes defense held on while the offense tried to make a heroic effort at the end of the game when Guyer's shot was saved by the NWU goalkeeper.
 
The Lutes managed to come away with a draw, giving them a 1-0-1 start to the season.
 
INSIDE THE STATS
 
Johnson lead the lutes in shots with four, two of which on target and one ending in the back of the net. Tafolla, the first scorer of the game for the Lutes, finished with a perfect shooting percentage of one shot, one shot on goal, and one goal. Thompson also applied the offensice pressure throughout with three shots of his own, two of which being stopped by the keeper. Both goalkeepers for PLU allowed one goal but made two saves on the day. As a squad, the Lutes fired 13 shots and made four total saves. NWU earned one more corner kick than the Lutes with 5. Senior defender Cole Dobson earned a yellow card late in the 75^th minute.
 
WHAT'S NEXT?
 
The Lutes Men's Soccer team will return home for the start of classes before travelling south to Salem, Ore. to take on Emory University on Friday at 2 p.m. and Claremont Mudd-Scrips Colleges on Sunday at 2 p.m.
 
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