Oct. 17, 2007

Loggers Shut Down Pacific Lutheran, 1-0, in NWC Men’s Soccer

Box Score

PARKLAND – Puget Sound limited host Pacific Lutheran to just two shots the entire game and took advantage of a goal mouth scramble to score the game’s only goal in taking a 1-0 Northwest Conference men’s soccer victory on Wednesday afternoon.

The game, which had conference championship implications for both teams, was a surprisingly closely contested defensive affair. Puget Sound, which came into the match averaging more than 25 shots per conference game, had just seven attempts. Pacific Lutheran, second to UPS in the conference with nearly 14 shots per game, managed just two shots, both in the first half.

Derek Woodworth scored his third goal of the season and the only goal of the match at 52:24, latching onto a loose ball in the penalty area and firing it past PLU goalkeeper Daniel Mangum.

While Woodworth had the only goal, the Loggers had three good opportunities during a first half flurry, all of them coming within a minute of each other and all blocked by PLU defenders. The best chance came last when Greg Swanson fired a 15-yard shot at an empty goal but was denied by Lute defender Brian Lubeck, who dove in front of the shot.

Pacific Lutheran had the first chance of the match three minutes in but Derek MacLean, unmarked on the back post on a corner kick, headed over the cross bar. The only other PLU opportunity was Erik Gracey’s first half shot that UPS goalkeeper Pete Van Sant easily handled.

With the win, the 13th-ranked Loggers improve to 12-1-1 overall and to 7-1-1 in the conference, good for 22 points. They stay hot on the tail of Whitworth, which leads the NWC with 24 points on an 8-1-0 conference record. Pacific Lutheran, meanwhile, is now 8-6-1 overall and 6-2-1 in the conference, good for 19 points. Both Pacific Lutheran and Puget Sound have road matches at Whitworth scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 27-28.

- PLU -