SALEM, Ore. --- The Pacific Lutheran Men's Soccer team (9-1-4, 7-0-3 NWC) earned a draw for the second time in the 2024 Northwest Conference season, as Trevor Thompson scored his third goal of the weekend in the 1-1 draw against the Willamette Bearcats (3-7-5, 3-4-4 NWC).
 
Senior forward Trevor Thompson continued his offensive hot streak on Sunday, after recording five points on two goals on Saturday at Linfield. The senior remains just behind senior Criag Johnson in all-time goals and points, but his 9^th-minute goal not only helped him draw closer to Johnson in the record books, but also gave the Lutes an early 1-0 lead. Johnson did earn the assist on Thompson's one-time score.
 
The Bearcat offense responded with a pair of shot attempts of their own, but the one on-target was saved by Lutes senior goalkeeper Nicholas Gaston. Over a four-minute stretch Thompson looked to add to his season total with three-straight shot attempts that proved unsuccessful. PLU's defense locked in to close out the half, not allowing a shot in the final 18-minutes, with sophomores Connor O'Brien and Alvin Kamau's attempts at the end of the half missing the mark.
 
Willamette opened the second half with two shots that missed the target, then, sophomore Owen Bliskis and Johnson fired shots of their own, with each unable to get past the goalkeeper. The shot attempts for both teams went quiet for over the next 25-minutes, until Willamette began to find their stride on offense. Following a missed shot attempt, the Bearcats leveled the score at 1-1 in the 74^th minute. Thompson and Johsnon's ensuing attempts were shutout by the Bearcats keeper, as seniors Jordan Ross and Cole Dobson picked up yellow cards in the closing minutes of the game.
 
The Northwest Conference matchup ended in the same way it did in the first meeting back in September, a 1-1 draw. The Lutes six-game win streak comes to a close, but they do remain unbeaten in conference play.
 
The first half was controlled by the Lutes offense, taking ten shots, but the second half is where the Bearcats leveled the game thanks to ten shots of their own to the Lutes eight. PLU had seven shots on-target while the Bearcats had six. Thompson's 14^th goal of the season came with a team-high eight shots in the game, four of which deemed on-target. Goalkeeper Nicholas Gaston had five saves in the contest on 15 shots faced.
 
The Lutes take on cross-town rival Puget Sound in three days on their turf before hosting the Pioneers of Lewis & Clark College next Sunday on East Field at 12 p.m.
 
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