Men's soccer scraps for draw against Luther

INDIANOLA, Iowa – A highlight-reel header by Marcus Varnum helped the Simpson men's soccer team earn a 1-1 tie against regionally-ranked Luther on Saturday evening.

With his back to the goal, Varnum flicked in a 45-yard free kick from Zach Halder in the 38th minute to give the Storm (5-7-2, 0-2-1 Iowa Conference) a much-needed result in league play.

"To come away with a point against a really good opponent, I suppose that's a positive, although I wish we would have come away with a win," head coach Rick Isaacson said.

Luther – ranked No. 10 in the latest NSCAA North Region rankings – tied the game in the 61st minute when Nigel Nielsen collected a loose ball in the box and tucked it for the equalizer.

The Norse (7-3-3, 2-0-1) outshot Simpson 21-10 on the night, but the Storm generated a number of quality chances. Tyler Neumann had two opportunities go wide of the mark and Collin Hemann fired a shot off the near post in the 67th minute.

"We knew we would have to do well with our opportunities to be in this game, and we did let a few opportunities slip away," Isaacson said.

Austin Schafer took advantage of a rare start in goal, making eight saves.

UP NEXT
Simpson gets Sunday off, then goes to Wis.-Whitewater for a non-conference meeting Monday, Oct. 12. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.