Nov. 9, 2006

MEN’S SOCCER: Heads Held High After a Successful Season

LAST WEEK: The Pacific Lutheran University men’s soccer team split its final two games of the 2006 season with a 2-0 win over Willamette followed by a heartbreaking 1-0 overtime loss to Linfield. In the Willamette match, PLU's goals were scored by Baard Asker, assisted by Mike Ferguson at 30:51, and by Thomas Pedersen, also assisted by Ferguson, at 36:23. Pedersen was playing in his first match of the season after missing most of the schedule due to injury. PLU controlled the final 15 minutes of the first half and much of the second half. The Lutes ended the game with a 24-2 edge in total shots, including a 10-2 advantage in shots on goal. Goalkeeper Joshua Hooley made two saves and recorded the shutout for PLU. For Hooley, it was his first complete match of the season after seeing spot duty for much of the 2006 campaign. The following day the Lutes ended their season with a loss to Linfield. The Lutes managed to out-shoot the Wildcats, 22-13, and in shots on goal, 9-7, and seemed to be constantly threatening in the second half. PLU led 13-5 in second-half shots and many tested the Wildcats, starting with a diving stop by goalkeeper Grant Williams on a shot by Mike Ferguson, the Lutes’ leading scorer, in the 12th minute. Linfield scored on its first good opportunity of the sudden-victory overtime. The loss ended any hopes of a post season for the Lutes. Ferguson and PLU’s Baard Asker led both teams in shots with six each.

SOLID SEASON: The Lutes finished the season with an overall record of 12-6-1 and 9-4-1 in conference play, good for third place. This was the highest finish in conference that the men’s soccer team has had since 1997, when they were 14-6-2. That year the Lutes beat UPS, 5-2, in the NCIC playoffs before losing to eventual national champion Seattle University. Out of the Lutes 12 victories, 10 of them came by way of shutout. PLU’s five consecutive shutouts came within one of matching the school record of six set in 1987. The Lutes were led in scoring by junior Mike Ferguson who tallied 11 goals. Baard Asker, a junior from Oslo, Norway, followed Ferguson closely with 10 goals on the season. Erik Gracey led the Lutes in assists with five. Sophomore Andrew Croft started as goalkeeper in 18 games and tallied up 56 saves and a 1.00 goals against average. After finishing up his fifth season as head coach John Yorke improved his overall record at PLU to 49-44-5.

HIGH EXPECTATIONS: With only one senior on the 25-man roster expectations are very high for next year’s squad. The Lutes bring back five of the six top scorers along with both of the goalkeepers. Next season the sky is the limit for the men’s soccer team.

- PLU -