Davor Lukic nets two goals, Price tacks on goal an assist to give Knights the win

PORTLAND, Ore. --- The Warner Pacific men’s soccer team had some nervous moments but took home a 3-1 victory over Cascade conference foe Cascade. Davor Lukic had two goals to lead the way for the Knights, while Chris Price had a goal and an assist. Warner Pacific improves to 6-2-0 (2-0-0 Cascade Collegiate Conference) on the year while Cascade falls to 3-4-0 (1-2-0 CCC). Lukic had eight shots on the night (five on goal), while Price added six (also five on goal). Lukic now has a team-high seven goals for the Knights.

After an evenly played first 15 minutes, the Knights started to gain control, recording five shots over the next 10 minutes. Price nearly put the Knights ahead in the 24th minute when he received a beautiful pass from Lukic and slotted a shot past Cascade keeper Efrain Vargas. The ball appeared to be headed into the net, but the Cascade defense was able to race back and clear the ball off the line right before it crossed into the net.

The Knights finally broke through in the 36th minute when Price sent a shot past Vargas from eight yards out after receiving a cross Matt Radke. Price has two goals on the season and now has scored in two straight games for the Knights.

The Warner onslaught continued late in the first half, when freshman Titus Palmquist nearly put the Knights up 2-0 in the 41st minute when Price sent in a cross that found Palmquist all alone with the ball from three yards out. But Palmquist was unable to get off a clean shot and Vargas was there to make the save.

Despite Warner Pacific compiling a 12-5 shot advantage in the first half, the Thunderbirds came out fighting in the second half and tied the game in the 57th minute when Wandi Ali sent the ball into an open net after Knights keeper Ted Latta came off his line to try and win the ball only to have it batted away right to Ali.

With the game tied 1-1 and with only 25 minute remaining in the game, Lukic re-entered the game and scored within one minute of returning to the field when he knocked in a shot of off an Andrew Scott flip throw-in that was flicked on by Luis Galvan. Scott’s flip throw gave the Thunderbirds fits all night, as the Knights nearly scored again off one just two minutes later when Vargas tipped a Price header just over the bar.

In the 59th minute, Lukic scored an apparent goal off of yet another Scott flip throw, only to have it called back for offsides. Lukic had another sure-fire goal taken from him off of a well-placed free kick only to have a diving Vargas push it past the post at the last second.

Lukic finally tallied his second goal of the night in the 89th minute when Price sent a ball from the right side into the box that found the head of Lukic and then the back of the net.

For the game, Warner Pacific finished with 22 shots to 12 for Cascade. Vargas had eight saves for the Thunderbirds; Latta tallied four for the Knights. Edson Zacarias had four shots to lead the way for Cascade.

Warner Pacific returns to action on Saturday, September 27 when they face CCC rival #19 Concordia at home at 3 PM.