Scott Cinatl

Review staff writer

Linfield suffered another loss against Pacific Lutheran University on Oct. 12, 2-0.  Men’s soccer has lost five of its last eight matches and has struggled to maintain  consistency this season. This brings the team to a record of 6-6 overall and 2-5 in the Northwest Conference.

The Lutes started strong by taking advantage of a well-put corner kick in the eighth minute of the game, which PLU freshman forward Surafel Worku knocked in for the first goal of the game.

In the first half, PLU made several close attempts at the goal but was stopped by the Wildcats’ defense and a couple of saves coming from junior goalie Joe Locascio.

The ‘Cats then countered with an opportunity to score late in the half.  Junior defender Colin Bebee broke through the Lutes’ defense and took a shot at the goal, but it was deflected.

The Wildcats never had another opportunity to score in the first half.

The Lutes proceeded to put pressure on the Wildcats’ defense and put themselves in a position to score with a corner kick 10 minutes before the end of the first half. The kick made its way to PLU junior midfielder Lance Davis, who was able to add another point to the Lutes’ lead. By the end of the first half, PLU led 2-0.

At the start of the second half, Linfield had a new-found edge and quickly put pressure on the Lutes’ defense. Bebee and freshman forward Kyle Wallace made attempts on the goal but were unable to come through.

The ‘Cats scored near the 65th minute of the game with a header by sophomore midfielder Kevin Donato, but he was called offsides, resulting in no goal. More opportunities came for Linfield in the latter half of the game, but once again the ‘Cats were unable to chip away at the Lutes’ lead.

Junior midfielder Travis Isaacs got into a one-on-one opportunity in the box, though his low shot was not able to penetrate as PLU sophomore goalkeeper Daniel Magnum was able to retrieve the ball. The Wildcats outshot PLU with 7-10 on target but were unable to score the entire game. Locasio made a total of eight saves while Magnum made seven.

The Wildcats are on the road against Whitman College on Oct. 18 and Whitworth University on Oct. 19, still hoping to improve their rank among the NWC. Both games begin at 2:30 p.m.