THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Cal Lutheran men's soccer delivered one of its strongest performances of the young season Sunday morning, battling No. 4 Emory University to a 1-1 draw at William Rolland Stadium.
The Kingsmen controlled much of the match against one of the nation's top-ranked teams, outshooting the Eagles 17-6 and earning eight corner kicks to Emory's three.
Cal Lutheran came out aggressive from the opening whistle, putting Emory under pressure and creating several chances in the first half. The Kingsmen registered seven shots in the opening 45 minutes, including three on target, while holding the Eagles to five total.
Emory managed to break through in the 35th minute when Ewen Robertson finished a pass from Ibrahim Karabay to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
The Kingsmen came out even stronger in the second half, continuing to pressure the Emory defense while limiting the Eagles to just one shot over the final 45 minutes. Cal Lutheran fired off 10 second-half shots and earned five corner kicks as it searched for the equalizer.
That equalizer finally came in the 86th minute when
Viktor Cole rose to the occasion, finding the back of the net for his first collegiate goal off a corner kick from
Yusuf Bodiat to bring the Kingsmen level at 1-1.
Cal Lutheran continued to push for a game-winner in the final minutes, but Emory goalkeeper Geoffrey Halpern made six saves to keep the match tied.
Anthony Sound finished with one save for the Kingsmen, who held the Eagles to just three shots on target.
The draw gives Cal Lutheran a 2-1-2 record on the season and caps a strong weekend against a pair of esteemed opponents, heading into SCIAC play riding plenty of momentum.
Cal Lutheran opens conference action Wednesday, September 16, hosting Pomona-Pitzer at 7 p.m. The Kingsmen and Sagehens played to a scoreless draw last season, setting the stage for another competitive matchup to open the SCIAC slate.
