Nov. 2, 2007

Goals Galore as Lutes Defeat Linfield, 5-3

Box Score

Monica Beard - scores fourth goal of the season

McMINNVILLE, Ore. - Goals were easy to come by in the Northwest Conference women's soccer match Friday afternoon at the Linfield soccer field. Pacific Lutheran jumped out to an early lead over Linfield and never looked back, taking a 5-3 win.

The Lutes improve to 5-12-2 overall and 4-10-1 in the NWC. The Wildcats fall to 6-10-2 overall and 5-9-1 in conference play.

Lauren Northcutt got the high-scoring affair going 13 minutes into the match, tallying her first goal of the season. She was quickly followed up by a Christina McDuffie header into the left side of the net off a Melissa Buitrago assist, giving the Lutes a 2-0 advantage at the 19 minute mark. The goal was the third of the season for McDuffie.

Kim Skelly put Linfield on the board in the 26th minute on an assist from Sara Blake had two assists on the game.

Leading 2-1 at halftime, PLU put some distance between it and Linfield with two scores in the first 12 minutes of the half. Jill Trumbull and Monica Beard gave the Lutes a 4-1 lead that proved too much for the ‘Cats to overcome. Trumbull's goal was her second of the season and Beard's was her fourth, tying her with Buitrago for most by an individual PLU player this season.

Emma Triplett and Blake scored the other goals for Linfield. Their goals were sandwiched between the third goal of the season from PLU’s Brittney Bronson, crushing all hopes of a late comeback. Bronson also had an assist for the Lutes.

Linfield outshot the Lutes 9-8 for the game, with the Lutes converting more than half their shot attempts on goal.

Pacific Lutheran closes its season at 11 a.m. tomorrow with a match against the Willamette Bearcats in Salem, Ore.

(Courtesy of Linfield Sports Information Office)