Men’s soccer falls to Pioneers

The Lawrence University men’s soccer team faced a tough task last weekend against Carroll University, the sixth-ranked team in the region.
The Vikings had trouble maintaining any consistency on offense against the Pioneers; the Vikes went on to a 3-0 defeat and dropped their record to 2-5-3 (0-2-2 MWC).
The ball always seemed to be in the Vikings’ defensive third, and Carroll took advantage, taking a total of 30 shots in the game.
Twelve of their shots were on goal, but goalkeeper Andrew Finley made nine saves to keep the Vikings in the game for a while. The first half was a lopsided affair, with the Pioneers scoring all three of their goals in the first 45 minutes.
The Vikings only had one shot in the first period, and only two in the second, with no corner kicks in the entire game. Two of Lawrence’s shots were on goal, but neither could get past the Carroll goalkeeper and find the back of the net.
One bright spot for the Vikings was the return of junior captain Andrew King, who was sidelined for the first nine games of the season with a knee injury.
“It felt great to be back out on the pitch after being sidelined for so long,” said King. He went on to say that he hopes “to see extended playing time the rest of the season and help my squad get back in the win column.”
The Vikings can use King’s experience and leadership on the field as they enter the second half of their season. Lawrence took on nationally ranked UW-Oshkosh Wednesday and suffered a tough 5-0 loss on the road. The team heads back home for a weekend double header against Grinnell and Knox. Both games take place at 1:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
If you pride yourself on being a loud, rabble-rousing fan, get out there and support the team!