Luke Palmer has taken it to the next level. Luke Skywalker used the Force. Luke Palmer IS the force. The force that makes the 25th-ranked Chico State men's soccer team flow, anyway.
The holding midfielder helped the Wildcats hold it down in a weekend road sweep of Cal Poly Pomona and sixth-ranked UC San Diego to earn Wildcat of the Week honors.
Palmer played all 90 minutes in a 2-0 shutout at Cal Poly Pomona in which the hosts failed to register a single shot on goal.
Sunday, the Wildcats beat UC San Diego 1-0 in overtime, limiting the Tritons to just two shots on goal (both of which came in the last two minutes of regulation). Palmer played all 92-plus minutes of that match and nearly won it with an 18-yard blast late in the second half.
The senior from Davis has started 68 of 73 matches since his freshman season, helping lead the Wildcats on a run of three straight CCAA North Division Championships. The Wildcats won't win another North title in 2013 after migrating to the South Division. However, they currently lead the South standings by a point with six matches to play.
Chico State, 10-2-0 overall and ranked No. 25 in the nation, now ranks fifth in the nation in goals-against-average and seventh in shutout percentage.
The Wildcats host rival Sonoma State Friday at 4:30 and Humboldt State Sunday at 11:30 a.m.
