Losing the Battle

Everyone in the Luther camp new this would be the toughest weekend of the year. Taking on the Iowa Conference Champions and the Minnesota Conference Champions in back to back days, both on the road, was never going to be an easy task for the Norse. While Luther battled in both of these matches, they were unable to come out on top. The worst part of the weekend was that the tough games came back to back, and put a stop to Luther's 4 game unbeaten streak in a tough way.
It was a miserable day in Dubuque when Luther traveled to take on Conference Champion Loras on their home pitch, where they are tough to beat. The light rain made Loras' turf even slicker than it already is, and Luther was not able to find their touch right from the start. Missed passes, heavy touches, and a lack of passion plagued the Luther performance on Saturday, and Luther went down in the 23rd minute on a deflected shot.
Loras had most of the play throughout the first half as the Luther defenders struggled to find their feet and settle down. Then in the 33rd minute Jason Lentz made a great individual effort to get by a Loras defender in the box and earn a penalty as he was dragged down. He eas able to put it away and Luther was tied 1-1 going into halftime.
When Luther gave up a free kick in the first minute of haltime, everyone knew it was trouble, as Loras was able to bring their big boys froward and challenge the Luther defenders. The kick sailed into a dangerous position and after a scrum in the box the ball was deflected once again into the back of the Luther net. The backbraking goal two minutes into halftime proved to be the game winner, as Luther continued to battle but was never able to be very dangerous and ended the game losing 2-1.
A quick recovery was necessary as Luther would travel up to Northfield to take on the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Champions, Carleton College on Sunday. After a tough, wet battle against Loras, Luther's legs were drained and the effort they put forth against Carleton showed it. There was a lack of passion and commitment to winning, and Luther looked sloppy once again. A give away in the back and too much optimism allowed a loose ball to fall to the feet of a Carleton forward in the 11th minute and Carleton was up 1-0.
Luther's first half substitutes gave them a much needed lift, but when a Rosales free kick bounced off the underside of the cross bar and Fernandes and Arend were unable to put away a couple sitters in front of the net, it was a sign of things to come. After battling to get back into the game and having the better of the play for several minutes, Luther gift wrapped Carleton's second goal. An errant header by a Luther defender on a goal kick put the Carleton forward in behind. He was able to get a cross off and found a player in front of the net who put a shot on target. Steve O'Meara did well to parry the ball away, but once again a Carleton forward was first to the ball and slotted home Carleton's second goal six minutes before the half.
After putting together several minutes of good play, the second goal against the run of the game broke Luther's spirit, and they were never able to recover. A pretty even second half with Luther squandering their chances and Carleton managing the game well leftthe score 2-0 when the final whistle blew.
It will be a test of fortitude to see if this Luther team can move on from a tough weekend to look ahead to a huge Alumni Night clash when rivals Wartburg travel to Luther to play under the lights on Saturday night. They lost the battles last weekend, but a new battle awaits Saturday night. This will be the second IIAC game for the Norse in their tough opening stretch that includes the four top teams in the conference. We look forward to seeing you out to support Luther Saturday night.

Marquee Victory

In a weekend that had a lackluster beginning against Upper Iowa, Luther finished strong with a convincing victory over Macalester College, currently ranked 6th in the nation. This emerging Norse team showed resilience and passion as they overcame a sub-par game to perform well at home. Probably the best win for this program in several years, and certainly the most important win of any of the players or Coach Garcia-Prats short career, the victory against Macalester is certainly one to celebrate.
The weekend began with a trip down the road to Upper Iowa, Luther's in-region division II rival. Luther looked to build upon their thrilling 1-0 victory at home last year with a win at Fayette this year. On a beautiful pitch with loads of space for the Luther players to take advantage of their superior ability to move the ball, Luther was able to have the majority of possession throughout the game.
It was their inability to score that would prove costly on this night. While the back four of Luther kept the Peacock forwards grounded for most of the evening, the attack was unable to convert opportunity after opportunity in the final third. Luther was able to move the ball well but lacked the ability to connect their final ball and turn possession into dangerous chances. After several open shots in the box by a whole host of Luther attackers went unrewarded, the game looked headed to overtime.
Overtime proved to be more of the same, with Luther dominating possession but unable to punch one in to win the game. A glimmer of hope came when Michael Kustra earned a penalty in overtime as he was brought down in the box and Mike Olson stepped up to end the game. It was almost fitting when the shot sailed high, leaving the Norse scoreless all the way through overtime. It was a game reminiscent of the match against Viterbo, with Luther unable to turn their chances into goals.
The weekend was redeemed in full when the 6th ranked team in the nation came to town. After a solid 1-0 defeat of Macalester by the Luther women, the men were ready to match that victory with what outsiders would consider an upset. But after watching the game from last year, when Luther opened the 2009 campaign at Macalester and were able to come away with a tie, the Luther coaching staff new that despite their ranking, Macalester were beatable.
It didn't take long for the fun to begin when Michael Osmera won a tackle in the attacking third which gave him some room down the right sideline. He took a touch forward and served a great ball to a waiting Mark Fernandes, who was first to the ball on the near post and finished well to put Luther up 1-0 inside of the first minute.
Luther once again had the majority of the possession, while Macalester was really only dangerous through dead ball situations, where they were able to bring their big boys into the box and cause trouble for the Luther defenders. Adam Dane had an excellent game as he physically battled with the Macalester midfielders all game. Ten minutes after Luther's goal, a Macalester player hits a laser to the top corner after a poorly cleared corner kick and ties the score at 1.
Luther headed into half with their heads held high, knowing they could give more. Fifteen minutes into the second half, Dane played a great ball over the top to Fernandes, whose first touch put him 1v1 with the goalkeeper. As he lined up the shot he was tackled in the box by a Macalester defender earning him a read card. Saul Rosales stepped up to convert the penalty and eventual game winner to put Luther up 2-1. 12 minutes later, an awkward clearance by a ten-man Macalester turned into a forty yard shot on target and forced the goalkeeper to use his hands to stop the ball. It was ruled a pass back and Luther was awarded an indirect free-kick near the six yard box. The kick was taken low and hard and bounced off the Macalester defenders on the goal line and found its way to Mike Olson's feet. He was able to tuck the ball away the second time and secured a 3-1 lead for Luther.
When Mark Fernandes earned a questionable second yellow card, making the game a 10v10 affair, things were made a little more interesting as Macalester battled hard to get a result. The Luther defense held strong and were able to close out the game and knock off the number one team in the region.
The hard work of this team continues to impress, and they will only get better as some of these young players continue to get better with experience. Luther has earned 3 shutouts on the year as the back 4 and goalkeeper continue to do well. Goalkeeper Steve O'Meara's effort was rewarded as he was named Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) Defensive Player of the Week.
Luther begins a difficult conference schedule this weekend when they play at Loras College, a perennial power in the IIAC. They follow that trip up with a trip up to Northfield on Sunday as they take on Carleton College. Let's hope they can build on the marquee victory and continue their winning ways.

We'll Take It

Anyone who has played a sport knows that it is sometimes more difficult to get excited about some games than others. The facilities, the opponent, or the crowd can have an effect on one's ability to be at their peak level of concentration and effort. On Tuesday, Luther's Men's Soccer Team looked to be suffering from some of these symptoms, and things were not clicking as they had in the past. But they did what good teams do and found a way to win.
The afternoon game in Lacrosse against Viterbo University was swarming with mosquitoes and the crowd left a little to be desired. Luther dominated a lackluster performance from both sides as they dominated the possession and looked like they were going to score every time they had the ball. A crossbar and a couple great saves from Viterbo's goalkeeper was all that kept Luther out of the back of the net in the first half.
There were numerous chances for the Norse, as Viterbo's legs showed the fact that they had played four games in six days. But when the final ball was needed to create a clear goal scoring chance, or when a Luther player looked to go at a defender 1v1 in order to be clear to goal, they were slightly off. Far too often the final pass was consistently a yard ahead or behind and the ball got stuck underneath the feet of the forwards. The result was many near misses for Luther.
It wasn't for a lack of effort that Luther continued to come up short of a goal, as they continually pressed Viterbo, whose chances were few and far between.
The game went scoreless into overtime, with Kustra, Oket, and Fernandes suffering many near misses throughout the second half. It was not until six minutes into the first overtime that they were able to put the game away. Saul Rosales played Mark Fernandes into space outside the box to the left of the goal. He went at the defender and took a touch to his right towards goal when ball ricocheted off a retreating Viterbo defender and slowly rolled to bounce off the post and into the back of the net. There was a moment of shock when everyone on the field was not sure what had happened, and then Fernandes was mobbed by his elated and surprised teammates.
While it was not the most beautiful performance, these are the kinds of games this team needs to learn to win. In the past, these weird games that Luther dominated but could not find a way to score often resulted in a goal for the bad guys against the run of play. Perhaps this change of tides is a sign of the growth of this team. Their commitment to work hard and their ability to never give up on a game paid off in a big way on Tuesday, and they will look to continue their win streak Friday at 5 PM at Upper Iowa University.

A Long Time Coming

At the end of Luther's Wednesday night game against Minnesota rivals St. Olaf, Head Coach Garcia-Prats turned to his assistant, and with a big smile and a handshake said, "Well done, son." If you know Coach Garcia-Prats' normal sideline demeanor, then this tells you everything you need to know about how the game went. If not, your correspondent will help clear things up.
It was a gorgeous night in Decorah, and it was going to be interesting to see how this young team responded to two heartbreaking losses to start off the season. With a little help from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," the point was driven home that Luther must finish off St. Olaf once they had been injured and not let them hang around as in other games. The message was applied well, and when Brock Arend had a chance on goal as he was put in behind straight from the kickoff, it was a sign of things to come.
The game was begging to go to 1-0 when Arend again found himself with space in the box and put a shot just over the bar. It wasn't until the 22nd minute when Alex Case fed a ball into space for Michael Kustra down the left sideline. The Scotsman banged a shot across the face of goal and it deflected off a St. Olaf defender and lofted over the scrambling goalkeeper to put the Norse up 1-0. The half continued with a dominating performance by Luther, with only one real chance for St. Olaf that found the post.
The second half would prove to be the test of whether this team had the ability to finish games and get the wins they so often deserved. It didn't take long for the second goal to come in the 51st minute when a Michael Olson free kick was flicked on by Mark Fernandes and found Adam "$+@xxx" Dane who finished nicely and was mobbed by his teammates in front of a boisterous crowd. It seemed that the floodgates had been opened when three minuted later Dane was dragged down in the box on a free kick, giving Luther a penalty which Mike Olson finished well. Less than a minute later Mark Fernandes combined with Saul Rosales who found Brock Arend streaking into the box unmarked. Arend was able to keep the ball under the bar and found the side netting to put Luther up 4-0. As Luther continued to dominate, in the 80th minute Saul Rosales combined with Oketekyie "Oket" Dakwa-Agyekum to torch the St. Olaf defenders with a series of wall passes. The gorgeous combination resulted in notching Rosales' second assist of the day and Oket's first collegiate goal. Their spinning pirouette of an embrace in celebration of Luther's 5-0 lead said everything about the night.
A grand performance from everyone across the board against St. Olaf left a good feeling in the hearts and minds of the Luther faithful for the first time this season. This is the performance Coach Garcia-Prats knew the boys had in them, and it has been 3 years in the making for this emerging team. The standards have been raised now that they have made known what they are capable of, and the test will be to see if it can be repeated throughout the season. Luther look to continue their stellar performance Tuesday, September 14th when they face Viterbo University in LaCrosse, WI.

The Inability to Finish

The 2010 season has gotten off to a less-than desirable start for the Norse. It hasn't been for a lack of fervor and effort, but Luther has found a way to give away results in their first two games, falling 1-o to Augsburg and 2-1 to the University of St. Thomas.
It was a beautiful night in Minneapolis for the 2010 opener against Augsburg, who was an NCAA tournament sweet 16 two years ago. A strong Luther following came our to support their alma mater and were making themselves heard in the Auggies' stands. On an undersized pitch with a ball that bounced and sped across Augsburg synthetic grass, there was not much in the way of controlled soccer happening through the midfield for either team that night. When a long ball from Luther was dealt with poorly by the Augsburg central defender, freshman attacker Brock Arend found himself in a 1v1 challenge with the keeper. He beat the keeper to the ball with his head and it looked to be an early lead for the Norse when it bounced just wide. The chance would prove to be the best of the night for Luther, but they continued to fight hard throughout. With stellar performaces from junior goalkeeper Steve O'Meara, junior defenders Mike Olson and Adam Dance, Luther was still in the game and looked to get home with a point.
With a little over 2 minutes until regulation, a missed clearance found its way to an Auggie midfielder where it was played high and bouncing into the Luther box. The Auggie attacker was first to the ball and tucked it away in the lower corner to earn victory in disappointing fashion. A heartbroken Luther team left the field knowing they put in a good effort against a talented team. The boys worked hard for each other but were not able to finish on this night.
Two days later, Luther opened at home with a Friday night match against St. Thomas, who is picked to finish second in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference this year. A slow start left a little to be desired from both teams. Luther did not have much to cheer about until a quick restart after a foul allowed first-year midfielder James Garcia-Prats to find his first year midfield partner Matt Hoffman who settled the ball and took aim from about 25 yaards out. It was a dream come true as the ball sailed into the upper corner past the outstretched arms of the St. Thomas goalkeeper.
The goal energized Luther and they opened the second half with some of the best soccer they have played all year. They connected passes and maintained possession despite a strong wind in their face. Sophomeore forward Mark Fernandes had a couple chances in the box but was denied by the goalkeeper to keep the lead at one. As the half dragged on, the speed of St. Thomas' attack began to take its toll as the Tommies were able to create some chances. When a Tommies midfielder found a crease of space as he turned, he hit the shot of his life into the far upper corner to knot the game at one in the 80th minute. Not three minutes later a speedy St. Thomas forward was able to run through two defenders before finding his strike partner open inside the six-yard box, who finished well and put the Tommies up 2-1.
The late season collapses are a troubling sign for a Luther team that looked strong coming out of pre-season. There were several positives. The effort put forth throughout both games was stellar, even if the decision-making left a little to be desired. First-years have performed well and look to continue to add to the depth of this Luther squad. The key now is to finish chances and finish games strong. The Norse will hope to rebound when they host rivals St. Olaf on Wednesday.