Brett McKenzie Oct. 4, 2008

Central can't come back from three goal deficit

DECORAH—Surrendering three early goals was too much to overcome as the Central College men’s soccer team fell at Luther College Saturday 5-3.                                                                                 The Dutch were forced to play catch up after allowing three straight goals to Luther (4-5-1 overall, 1-1 Iowa Conference) in the first 31 minutes. Central finally got on the board with a Brett McKenzie (sophomore, Lindenhurst, Ill., Antioch HS) goal assisted by midfielder Jonathan Schroeder (freshman, St. Charles, Ill., North HS) in the 34th minute to cut the lead to 3-1. But a minute later Luther’s Adam Pyztrowski made it a three-goal game again with his third goal of the first half.

Before halftime midfielder Nick DeLucia (sophomore, Urbana, Ill.) scored an unassisted goal to make it 4-2.

“When we came in at the half we really felt like we could come back,” said Central coach Garry Laidlaw. “We felt like we had the momentum.”

But in the 63rd minute Luther scored its final goal of the game on a penalty kick.

“They increased their lead to three again with the penalty kick, and that’s what finished us,” said Laidlaw. “I give credit to Luther though, they came out and outworked and outplayed us. We really had to fight hard the rest of the game. We just didn’t win the battle.”

Midfielder Cruz Herr (senior, Cedar Rapids, Kennedy HS) also scored on a penalty kick for the Dutch’s third goal of the game.

Central (6-5 overall, 1-1 conference) will face Buena Vista (1-9 overall, 0-1 conference) at 4 p.m. Wednesday at the A.N. Kuyper Athletics Complex field in Pella.