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.