Peaks and Valleys

Well, it has been a whirlwind of the last three weeks for Luther Soccer. The frequency of these blog posts is reflective of how busy things have been for us, and unfortunately posting has been the least of our worries.
Following the Wartburg game Luther had two more battles ahead against Central College and the University of Dubuque. After giving up two goals in 40 seconds against Central, Luther was unable to battle back and ended up losing 2-1 despite a great goal from Jackson Stalberger set up from goalkeeper Steve O'Meara, notching their first goal and assist of the year respectively.
Luther's travels to Dubuque have not been kind to them this year, and their game against the University that bears the same name was no different. Giving up goals in the last two minutes of the first half and the first five minutes of the second half, Luther put themselves out of the game. Although they fought hard and had several great chances, Luther ended up going down 2-0.
The Dubuque game was Luther's 5th straight loss, and things were looking bleak for the Norse. But the team's resilience and ability to stick together through the toughest of times began to pay dividends as Luther was able to real off 5 straight victories against Buena Vista University, Simpson College, Coe College, Cornell College and St. John's University. With game winning goals from Gui Castro, Mark Fernandes, Matt Hoffman, Mark Fernandes (again) and Saul Rosales respectively, the Norse turned their season around and put their record at 4-4 in conference and 8-7-1 overall. A winning record with one of the toughest schedules in the region is something to be proud of, and Coach Garcia-Prats should be applauded for his ability to a build a team that can pull itself off the ground time and time again to achieve great things. After 5 straight losses where the Norse often outplayed their opponent, these last 5 wins have been a long time coming for Luther Blue.
This weekend was Luther Soccer Family Weekend, celebrated with 5-0 and 3-0 wins for the Norse. There were many families in town to celebrate this team and it's five seniors, Jason Lentz, Gui Castro, Mike Olson, AndyEisenberg, and Alex Case. With two great wins and Jason Lentz and Andy Eisenberg scoring goals today against St. Johns, it was a perfect ending to a great weekend.
They now look ahead to their final game of the season at UW-Platteville to seal the deal on the first winning season for Luther since 2004. It has been a wild ride this season, full of peaks and valleys, but what has not changed is this team's ability to stick together, enjoy themselves, and be a true team. Hopefully their run is not yet over, as Luther is a team that no one wants to see again. They are on a 5-game win streak, and underperformed for most of the conference season. They will be a tough game for whoever they get in the IIAC Conference tournament, and they will look to make a deep run and extend these seniors' last year of collegiate soccer.

Mixed Blessings

Alumni weekend brought all of the fun and revelry that it usually does, but unfortunately the play on the field could not match the fun off of the field. The rivalry of Luther is still alive and well in Northeast Iowa, but Luther found themselves on the wrong side of things once again.
The weekend began on a fun note when about 25 alumni turned out and dusted off the boots to have a go in the alumni game. The guys were able to play 11 v 11 on the game field Saturday afternoon, with the current team in attendance to cheer the boys on. It was a fun, competitive game that most importantly avoided major injury and it was great for our current guys to connect to past Luther greats.
The alumni gathering made their way to the men's and women's game Saturday night where they made camp and ate well on the sideline, and they were a spirited bunch throughout the match. They ended their night at the old haunt of T-Bocks, where memories were shared and friendships rekindled. We are very appreciative of the great support provided by the alumni and look forward to many gatherings in the future.
Unlike the fun with the alumni, the game against Wartburg left a little to be desired. Both teams came out flying as the boisterous crowd raised the level of play on the night. While Luther controlled the midfield, they were unable to create dangerous chances while Wartburg continued to threaten every time they went on attack. When a Luther defender was left isolated on the edge of the box, the Wartburg forward to a deft touch towards the center of the field and hit a well struck shot that found the bottom left corner of the goal and put Wartburg ahead 1-0.
Luther continued to battle and create chances, and things looked good when they won a free kick inside of 25 yards. James Garcia-Prats missed the tying goal by inches as his free kick clanked off the under-side of the crossbar. Luther continued to have the majority of possession but were unable to score as the half drew to a close.
The second half was another spirited affair as Luther continued to threaten. Both teams fought hard to be the victor on this night, and things would have been more interesting if Luther could have avoided a costly give-away in the defensive third when an errant pass was intercepted and converted to a quick goal as Wartburg was put up 2-0 in the 58th minute.
Luther showed great fortitude as they continued to fight on, and their hard work was rewarded with a penalty that was called after a Wartburg foul in the box. In the 73rd minute Saul Rosales brought the Norse one goal away from a result. Luther kept the pressure on the Knights as the game came to a conclusion with several chances to tie the game being squandered away.
The game ended with Luther on the losing end, but the performance showed great heart and commitment to excellence. In a game where Luther out-shot their opponent and had most of the ball, they were once again unlucky to not come out with a result. They will look to keep spirits high as they have a quick turn around to battle a tough Central College team Wednesday night at home.