MEN'S SOCCER: LeTourneau overpowers Texas Lutheran 2-0
By W. Alan Wiederhold
Sports Information Director
LeTourneau University
LONGVIEW – Trey McLaughlin and Dillon Holt each scored first-half goals to lead the LeTourneau YellowJackets to a 2-0 win Saturday over visiting Texas Lutheran at the LETU Soccer Complex.
McLaughlin (Sunnyvale, Texas/North Mesquite) headed in the match-winner in the eighth minute and Holt (Boerne, Texas/Boerne) claimed a piece of LeTourneau soccer history with his insurance goal in the 42nd minute.
After receiving a long pass from David Follingstad (Nairobi, Kenya/Rosslyn Academy), Holt beat one defender and fired a low shot past TLU goalkeeper Michael Roell. The goal was the 40th of Holt's career – making him LeTourneau's career scoring leader in the program's NCAA era, which began in 1998.
Holt moved past Seth Haesecke, who scored 39 goals from 1998 to 2000. Haesecke is the brother of LeTourneau men's soccer coach Matt Haesecke.
In front of an enthusiastic crowd of approximately 250 people, the YellowJackets (2-4-2, 2-1 ASC) dominated the Bulldogs from the opening whistle. By game's end, LeTourneau had outshot their visitors 26-7.
The YellowJackets needed very little time to get on the scoreboard. With the home team having already set the tone barely seven minutes after the opening whistle, McLaughlin headed home his first goal of the season off a well-placed corner kick from Ben Stoeckmann (Waukesha, Wis./Faith Christian School).
On the other end of the field, LeTourneau's defensive unit of Nick Novak (Longview, Texas/Pine Tree), Travis Pruett (Flower Mound, Texas/Pikeville College), Patrick Thompson (Southlake, Texas/Keller) and Hunter Hembrough (Longview, Texas/Longview) continually disrupted the Texas Lutheran offense. Each defender played all 90 minutes during the contest.
While the Jackets were consistently pressuring TLU's goalies, LeTourneau senior goalkeeper Kyle Davis (Solon, Ohio/Solon) had a relatively quiet evening en route to his second consecutive shutout, as he only needed to stop one shot in the 71st minute of play.
Davis enjoyed a little bit of history himself, as he recorded the 11th shutout of his career, which ties him for second all-time in shutouts in school history. Davis, already the school's NCAA-era leader in that category, is now tied with Keith Hibbard (1976-77) and Jeff Gibbs (1979-82) on LeTourneau's all-time list.
The Bulldogs (0-8, 0-3 American Southwest Conference) had very few scoring opportunities Saturday, and only managed to get off one shot during the first half. TLU was robbed of its best chance to score by the goal itself when Alexander Novesel's 18-yard strike in the 78th minute hit the bottom of the crossbar and bounced out.
Meanwhile, the Jackets continued to fire off several good looks at the TLU goal. Lost in his team's setback was the play of TLU goalkeeper Brandon Reyes, who relieved Roell after halftime. Reyes made five saves during the match, including several terrific chances by the YellowJackets.
With two wins in as many nights, the YellowJackets will get a short rest before returning to action Tuesday when they travel to East Texas Baptist for the Piney Woods derby. Match time between the schools' men's squads is set for approximately 8 p.m. in Marshall.
NOTES: Stoeckmann's assist gave him 21 for his career, moving him into sixth place on the school's all-time list ... The win over Texas Lutheran was LeTourneau's first since 2006; the Jackets are 7-9-1 all-time against TLU ... Holt's next goal will tie him with Seth Haesecke for fifth all-time on the career goals list at 41; Haesecke scored twice during his freshman season in 1997 when LeTourneau was still a member of the NAIA and the Big State Conference.
