TACOMA, Wash. — Pacific Lutheran University all-time points leader Craig Johnson played a role in five of the Lutes' seven goals on Saturday afternoon as the PLU men's soccer team steamrolled in-state rival Whitman College 7-0 on East Field to seize sole possession of first place in the Northwest Conference standings. 

"It's really good to see Craig and Trevor both on their game today at the same time. We're a very difficult team to defend when both of those guys are feeling good and in a scoring rhythm, so I actually thought Whitman played very well," said Head Coach John Yorke.

"We put them under some pressure in the first part of the game and we were able to catch a couple goals and that sort of changed it for us, but we really grew into it and played very well. It's a good time of year to start finding a good rhythm."

PLU (7-1-3, 5-0-2 NWC) took the lead in the 15th minute with Johnson converting a penalty kick. Trevor Thompson would double the hosts advantage in the 26th minute, burying a shot in the lower right corner off a feed from Johnson. Owen Bliskis made it 3-0 in the 35th minute with Misha Turchaninov getting credit for the assist but the Lutes weren't done scoring in the opening half. Johnson tallied his second goal of the first stanza in the 41st minute with Christian Pineda notching an assist.

Bliskis and Thompson would net their second goals of the game just 48 seconds apart in the 52nd minute with Johnson assisting on both while Vasil Mladenov made it 7-0 in the 84th minute off a feed from Seamus Miller.

Despite the lopsided scoreline, the Lutes only held a 16-14 edge in shots, including a 10-8 advantage in shots on goal.

Nicholas Gaston made six saves in net while Gio Aguilar-Gutierrez made his second appearance in goal of his career, logging the final 22 minutes and registering one save. Whitman's (8-2-1, 5-1-1 NWC) two keepers combined for three saves on the day. 

PLU's 7-0 thrashing was the most goals and largest margin of victory for the Lutes this season and biggest output since a 7-0 blowout of George Fox University on Oct. 21st last fall.

The Lutes finish off their homestand tomorrow at noon against in-state nemesis Whitworth University.