APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University men's soccer team battled Luther College in a tightly contested match Tuesday night at the Banta Bowl, but the Vikings fell 1-0 to the Norse.
Neither team was able to break through in the opening half as both sides battled for control. Luther created several early opportunities, but Lawrence goalkeeper Cristian Puebla came up big, making four saves in the first half to keep the match scoreless heading into the break.
Luther broke the deadlock early in the second half when Francesco Mungari scored in the 58th minute to give the Norse a 1-0 lead.
The Vikings answered with increased pressure as the half progressed. Grayson Ogren put a shot on target in the 62nd minute, forcing a save, while Issac Newcomb also tested Luther goalkeeper Blair Nelsen later in the half.
Lawrence continued to push for the equalizer in the closing minutes. The Vikings earned two corner kicks in the final five minutes and continued to create opportunities around the Luther goal. With just over a minute remaining, Ogren put another shot on target, but Nelsen made the save to preserve the Norse lead.
The Vikings earned one final corner after Ogren's late effort was knocked away, but Luther's defense held strong to secure the shutout.
Lawrence finished with eight shots and four corner kicks, while Puebla recorded seven saves in the match. Luther held a 13-8 advantage in shots, but the Vikings continued to battle and put pressure on the Norse throughout the second half.
