Defensive battle goes the Lutes way, ‘Cats fall 1-0

McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Linfield men’s soccer (3-5-3, 2-3-1 NWC) kept Pacific Lutheran (7-1-2, 5-0-1 NWC) off the scoreboard for more than 72 minutes before surrendering the match’s lone goal in a 1-0 defeat on Saturday. The Wildcats entered halftime locked in a scoreless tie behind a strong defensive effort. Jacob Toves made two first-half saves, while Johann Singh Sanchez , Beckham Poirot and Nate Prenovost each generated shots for Linfield. The defensive battle continued deep into the second half before Pacific Lutheran broke through in the 73rd minute on a counter attack to take a 1-0 lead. Linfield pushed for…