Contact: Brock Reisler, Assistant Executive Director, breisler@midwestconference.org
 
DECORAH, Iowa – The Luther College men’s soccer program made its inaugural season in the Midwest Conference a memorable one, claiming the MWC regular season title on Saturday night with a 5-1 home win over Cornell College.
 
Luther got on the board early and often in the first half, scoring four times in the first 45 minutes. David Barlecaj started the scoring in the fourth minute, while Yves Muhire followed in the 15th minute. The Norse extended their lead to three in the 24th minute thanks to Blake Prouty, and after Cornell got on the board in the 26th minute on a penalty kick, Vinny D’Amico gave Luther a 4-1 halftime lead with a tally in the 40th minute.
 
The Norse added one more score in the second half thanks to Paul Menge’s goal in the 64th minute.
 
Luther had an 18-3 advantage in shots, putting eight shots on goal while allowing two shots on goal. Five different players found the back of the net, while Barlecaj and Prouty each had three shots apiece. Blair Nelsen and Will Lookingbill each played a half in goal, with Lookingbill recording one save.
 
The Norse, sporting a 9-2-3 record, conclude the regular season with two matches next week. Luther hosts UW-Eau Claire on Tuesday (October 27) before traveling to Monmouth College on Saturday (October 31).
 
Luther will be the top seed at the 2026 Midwest Conference Men’s Soccer Tournament. The Norse will host the semifinals and final of the tournament on Friday and Saturday (November 6-7). The six qualifying teams will compete for the MWC Team Tournament title and the automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament. Tournament action begins on Tuesday, November 3 with a pair of quarterfinal matches hosted by the third and fourth seeds. Illinois College, Grinnell College and Lake Forest College have already clinched tournament berths, while the remaining two teams have yet to be determined.
 
The Norse are seeking their first MWC Tournament title (and 13th NCAA Tournament berth in program history).
 
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