Panthers Fall to #16 Luther

The Principia Men's Soccer team's exciting run came to an end on Saturday afternoon in the first round of the national tournament.  The Panthers fought hard against a nationally ranked opponent, but they fell short as Luther College pulled away the victory with a strong second-half performance.

Principia Men's Soccer trekked to northern Iowa to face the Luther College Norse in the first round of the NCAA tournament.  Coming off a successful SLIAC championship performance, the Principia men were prepared to demonstrate their potential on the national stage. 

The Norse appeared in the elite eight of the national tournament in 2018 and earned their spot in the 2019 tournament by winning the American Rivers Conference tournament, against a competitive field.  Luther College was ranked at number six in the nation early in the season and entered the NCAA tournament ranked sixteenth in the country. 

The winner of the match between Principia and Luther would face the winner of the first-round match Central College and Wisconsin-Superior University in the second round match which would be played on Sunday. 

The field conditions were less than ideal, with the ground still thawing out from freezing temperatures and snowfall earlier in the week. 

FIRST HALF

Both teams fought to get possession early in the game.  Players had a difficult time keeping their footing as the ground gave out underneath them.  Principia played strong defense, not giving up any clear chances in the opening twenty minutes.  Nick Klusmeyer made two strong plays in goal to clear the danger. 

As the match went on, Principia found more of the ball and pressed into the Norse half.  However, Luther College scored first on a shot from eighteen yards out that found the bottom right corner. 
The Panthers continued to battle, earning 3 corner kicks in the first half.  With about ten minutes left in the first half, a Principia corner kick was cleared but George Agai won the ball and played it back out to Kaleb Keller on the right flank.  Keller whipped in a shot that dipped in towards goal, but the Luther goalkeeper made a great save to tip the shot over for another corner kick. 

The first half ended 1-0 in favor of Luther.

SECOND HALF

The Panthers entered the second half prepared to fight their way back into the game as they had so many times this season.  Unfortunately, Luther College jumped on an opportunity two minutes into the half, increasing their lead to 2-0. 

The Principia men still knew that they could claw their way back into the game.  Cameron Sellers and Seth Arens both put in great work in the middle of the field, covering ground, winning tackles, and creating counter attacks.  Mwesa Mulonda and Cole Heinbaugh played strong games on the flanks, working hard to get involved in Principia attacks as well as working back to defend.  George Agai, Patrick Sherman, and Kaleb Keller looked to pounce on opportunities for counter-attacks.

Luther College scored their third goal from a corner kick that caught the wind and carried into the far post, bringing the score to 3-0 in favor of Luther.

Principia still didn't fold.  The Panthers earned a free-kick just outside of the box with twenty minutes left in the game.  Kaleb Keller stepped up and curled the shot into the top left corner (Principia 1 – 3 Luther). 

The Panthers weren't able to complete the comeback on this occasion.  Luther responded with a goal off a free-kick that took a deflection. Luther found the goal again five minutes later on a breakaway.

Final score: Principia 1 – 5 Luther
 
While this loss brings the Principia Men's Soccer season to a close, the performance of the team throughout the season reflects the higher purpose for which the team plays.  This is a great moment for Principia Athletics and for the Principia community.  The Principia Men's soccer team demonstrated character, resilience, and trust that transcends sport and represents the values of the institution that they play for.  The team will reflect on the season positively, celebrate their success, and then begin working to improve for next year. There is still more good work to do. 
 
The team is immensely grateful for the support they've received throughout the year.  To the fans, families, staff, referees, and all others that support the program, the team would like to say, THANK YOU. 
 
Looking forward to another great season in 2020.   

STORY COURTESY OF PRINCIPIA COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION