Oct. 28, 2007

Karamatic's Goal Lifts Lutes Past Whitworth in Double OT

Derek Karamatic - scores goal

Brian Lubeck - defensive stops

Box Score

SPOKANE, Wash. - Derek Karamatic scored perhaps the biggest goal of his Pacific Lutheran career on Sunday as the Lutes defeated Northwest Conference men's soccer leader Whitworth, 1-0, in double overtime. PLU's victory, combined with Puget Sound's loss at Whitman, moves the Lutes into second place in the conference standings and keeps alive their NWC title hopes.

Karamatic came up with the match-winning goal for the Lutes (11-6-1 overall, 9-2-1 NWC) at 108:25 when he took a pass from Brennan Brown and fired a shot past Whitworth keeper Scott Barnum and into the upper-left corner of the goal.

Barnum had saved the match for Whitworth (13-3-1 overall, 11-2-0 NWC) in the first overtime when he made a diving save on a shot by PLU's Michael Ferguson, who is tied for the lead in the NWC with 12 goals.

After a scoreless first half when neither side put a shot on goal, Whitworth started to get chances against PLU keeper Daniel Mangum. But the freshman saved all eight shots that came his way in the second half and overtime. That included a flurry over the last six minutes of regulation when the Pirates had four corner kicks and four shots. Mangum was saved on two occasions by senior center defender Brian Lubeck, who cleared one ball off the line and saved another goal with a sliding tackle on a Whitworth breakaway.

The NWC title scenarios are as follows: If the Pirates can win next Sunday at Whitman College, Whitworth will clinch its third NWC title in the last four years. If the Lutes win at Linfield and Willamette and the Pirates lose, PLU will win the title. If the Lutes lose or tie either of their final two matches, Whitworth wins the title. Finally, if Whitworth ties at Whitman and PLU wins twice, the teams will be tied in the final standings. At that point, the Pirates hold the tiebreaker for the automatic bid based on comparable results against Puget Sound, the third place team. Whitworth had a 1-1 record against UPS while the Lutes were 0-1-1 against the Loggers.

The win for the Lutes is the first in Spokane since 1998 and it is only the second time this season that the Pirates did not score a goal (Whitworth tied Southwestern 0-0 in the second match of the year).

Pacific Lutheran's next match is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Friday at Linfield, and it concludes the regular season at 1:30 p.m. Saturday against Willamette. Whitworth's big match against Whitman is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Saturday in Walla Walla.

(Courtesy of Whitworth Sports Information Office)