The LU men’s soccer team fared well in last weekend’s competition with two atypical foes. Saturday saw them take on the University of Chicago, the 17th ranked team in Division III. Playing at home, Chicago demonstrated exactly how they earned national recognition by going up 3-0 by half.
Lawrence came back late in the second half with goals from Lisandro Lopez del Valle and Richard Amankwah within three minutes of each other to make it a 3-2 game. Unfortunately, the equalizer couldn’t be produced and the team would have to return home with only the thought of what could have been.
Saturday’s game at home against Edgewood College had a significantly different texture. The Vikings controlled play from the opening whistle on.
Rodrigo Gomes scored in the 36th minute and the game was pretty much gravy thereafter. 10 minutes into the second half, Klas Berghede scored off a Cris Salvati cross – a play of beauty paralleling the beauty of the wind in the Rocky Mountains or perhaps a mother robin feeding its young.
The second half was nothing short of dominant for Lawrence as they outshot Edgewood 11-2 and gave up no shots on goal. The game would finish at the tally of 2-0 and mark goalkeeper Matt Wolin’s first career shutout.
The boys travel south to Knox and Grinnell this weekend in hopes of climbing from their current 8th place in the conference.