Story courtesy of Whitworth Sports Information
Ben Eriksson (Sr., Madison, Wis.) scored the game’s only goal in the ninth minute to lift the Gustavus men’s soccer team to a 1-0 win over Pacific Lutheran University in a match played at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington on Friday evening.
Justin Egleseder (Fy., Eden Prairie, Minn.) lofted a free kick from 35 yards away into the middle of the keeper box, where Eriksson was able to head the ball past PLU keeper Daniel Mangum for the only goal of the match.
The game was evenly played throughout with Gustavus barely outshooting PLU 7-6, while the Lutes had a 3-2 edge in corner kicks. Both defenses controlled play with much of the action taking place in the middle third of the field.
A flurry occurred in the final minute of the match when Trevor McDonald’s shot from a right-side angle was just saved over the bar by Gustavus keeper Luke Strom (So., Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata), forcing a Lute corner kick. Gustavus gained control after the corner kick and moved the ball upfield. It appeared the Gusties were content to simply keep possession in the corner when Bret VanderStreek (Jr., Pella, Iowa) suddenly turned toward the goal and fired a shot that hit the cross bar before sailing out of bounds.
Mangum and Strom each finished with a pair of saves.
Host Whitworth and Gustavus will play for the Northwest Capital Management Classic championship on Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. (PDT). PLU and Cal State East Bay will meet in the final match of the Classic on Sunday at 12:30 p.m.