Box Score TACOMA, Wash.—It was a great day all around for the University of Puget Sound men's soccer team. They scored three goals, celebrated a conference title, spread minutes throughout the entire roster, and said good bye to their 11 seniors with a 3-0 victory over Pacific Sunday at Peyton Field.
Headlining in Sunday's match, Vincent McCluskey scored two goals, opening scoring in the 7th minute after trapping a cross from fellow senior Ryan Rash, McCluskey knocked the ball down and fired off a half-volley that ripped into the back of the net, putting the Loggers up 1-0 with his fifth goal of the season.
Eight minutes later, Theisen Chang threatened another Logger goal with a shot on target, but Pacific keeper Zach Cohen grabbed the shot before it could cross into the net. There were four more shots on target by the Loggers in the first half, each of them saved by Cohen. Rash managed two—one in the 19th minute and one in the 43rd minute—while Carson Swope and Oliver Field each fired one apiece.
There were a few scary moments for the Loggers in the first half, however. In the6th minute, Nicolas Kaminsky fired a shot that hit the crossbar high and bounced back into play, but nothing else resulted from the close call. Also, Jake Passas fired a shot on frame in the 38th minute, but Nathan King stepped up and made his lone save.
Neither team offered a significant threat to each others' nets to begin the second half as only two shots were taken in the first 15 minutes of the period. Finally, in the 67th minute, Connor LaFerriere knocked down and buried a cross from Sam Zisette, putting the Loggers up 2-0. It was LaFerriere's second goal of the year and first since Sept. 8th versus Wisconsin Lutheran.
In the 76th minute, McCluskey capped off his final game at Peyton Field with a long-distance strike, burying a 28-yard shot into the net for his second of the game and 6th of the season. With the goal, he tallied his first multi-goal match of the season as well. He earned a deserved curtain call two minutes later when he was subbed out along with Swope.
After the Loggers' third goal, neither team put up much offensive pressure, instead choosing to give playing time to other members on their respective squads.
"It was a great game to finish our regular season at home with," said Reece Olney, head coach of Puget Sound. We started ten seniors that were healthy and they got off to a great lead with a great goal. We just kept it rolling from there. It was just a fun day to be part of the Logger men's soccer program."
Before the match, the team honored its 11 seniors for their commitment to the Logger men's soccer program for the last four years. Also, all ten seniors currently eligible to play earned the start today. Only Sam Naatz was left out of the starting lineup, but that was only because he suffered a season-ending injury in the second match of the season. Also starting: David Leslie, Geoffrey Cleveland, Colin McIntosh, Luke Sandblom, Eneko Bereziartua, Matthew Durland, along with Chang, Rash, Swope, and McCluskey. King was the only non-senior to start the match.
Having already clinched the NWC title yesterday, the Loggers have one more regular season match before the postseason begins. They play cross-town rival Pacific Lutheran Saturday, Nov. 4 in Parkland, Wash., on PLU's campus. The Loggers beat the Lutes 2-1 in their last contest with PLU, held Oct. 12 at Peyton Field.
