Greg Larson
For the Review
The men’s soccer team took the field against George Fox University on Nov. 1. The final score, 1-0, brought Linfield the victory but not the confidence it needed.
Putting only one of more than 30 shots in the back of the net, junior midfielder Travis Isaacs said the team needs to finish its chances. The ’Cats excelled on the ground, he said, an important part of their game plan.
The team came out swinging in the second half, but it needed to convert more of its attempts to goals, Issacs said.
Sophomore midfielder Roland Mason said the team played well, but not great.
When the ’Cats took the field against the University of Puget Sound on Nov. 2, they struck quickly.
Sophomore midfielder Michel Camacho netted his third goal of the season fewer than five minutes into the game.
The Loggers gave Linfield the ax with a 2-1 victory, scoring the equalizing goal only a minute later and taking the go-ahead goal later in the first half.
Mason said some poor clearances were present on the defensive end. Isaacs agreed, saying several mental lapses occurred in the backfield at crucial moments.
The ’Cats played a strong second half, and while unable to net a tying goal, the defense recovered from a rough start and ended the match on a strong note.
But the Nov. 5 game was a different story. The Wildcats outplayed Willamette University in a 5-0 victory, blowing the Bearcats out of the water.
The women’s game ran late, so the men had just 20 minutes to warm up.
Linfield started finishing its goal-scoring opportunities, and the cohesive offense unleashed on the Bearcats was impossible to overcome.
“It really boosts our confidence going into the last game,” Isaacs said. “It was nice to finish those chances and show what we are really capable of.”
Going into the season’s final game against Pacific Lutheran University today, Mason and Isaacs, along with the rest of the team, are definitely feeling good after their recent win.
“We are really excited,” Mason said. “We are looking to finish the season on a 4-1 streak, and we are looking to exact some revenge against the Lutes, for sure.”
Isaacs said that Linfield can play the role of spoiler for PLU. He said it would be a great note to end the
season on.
If Linfield wins today, it will finish the season with a 10-9 record, coming back to have a winning season snatching success from the clutches of defeat.