CMS Men's Soccer Concludes Non-Conference Play with 2-1 Defeat to Pacific Lutheran

SALEM, Ore. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's soccer team dropped a 2-1 decision to Pacific Lutheran in its final non-conference game of the season on Sunday, in a game hosted at Willamette.

With the tie, CMS slips to 0-2-3 on the young season, before it opens SCIAC play with a road game at Redlands on Wednesday night. 

CMS trailed 1-0 at the half, but Eric Sanchez was able to tie it up when he one-timed a shot from the top of the six-yard box under the crossbar at the 55:49 mark, off a crossing pass from Liam O'Reilly. 

The Lutes broke the tie off a corner kick with 12:51 remaining when Archie Caldwell headed a shot in from inside the penalty area. Tommy Brown was guarding the far post and blocked the ball with his foot, but the linesman ruled that it crossed over the goal line before Brown was able to re-direct it. 

The game was evenly played with 16 shots apiece, with each team taking seven in the first half and nine in the second half. Kevin Box had six saves for the Stags and Nicholas Gaston had four for the Lutes, including another tying effort from Sanchez in the 83rd minute. 

CMS opens SCIAC play at Redlands Wednesday after going undefeated in league play a year ago (10-0-2) for the first time since 1993. Redlands was able to take the postseason title, though, with a 2-1 win over the Stags in the finals.