Look for a low-scoring affair when the Monmouth College Fighting Scots take their 9-5-3 record to Decorah, Iowa, for Wednesday’s first round NCAA Division III tournament game against Luther College. The match will be played under the lights, starting at 5:30 p.m.

Monmouth gained its first-ever berth in the national tourney by blanking Lake Forest College 1-0 Saturday in the championship game of the Midwest Conference Tournament, and that type of stingy defense has served the Scots well in their last 10 games. Monmouth has gone 7-1-2 over that span and allowed just seven goals.

The Norse, who qualified for nationals by winning the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, also boast a strong defense, which has carried the team to a 16-4-1 record.

“If you score, you may win,” said Luther coach Doug Mello. “If they never score, you will never lose. Defense wins championships.”

Luther’s swarming, high-pressure mode of defending is designed to intimidate opponents, and it has resulted in eight shutouts in each of the last two seasons. The Norse surrendered a combined eight goals in losses to national qualifiers UW-Whitewater, Marian and Macalester and allowed just 10 scores in their other 18 contests.

On offense, six players have recorded more points than the 15 by Monmouth’s team leaders, junior Zach Hampson and sophomore Alex Sandoval, although that figure is skewed by a lopsided 17-0 victory that Luther registered against Morningside. Senior midfielder David Pendergast has 27 points on nine goals and nine assists, and forwards Wade Murray and Tyson Ester each have 23 points.

Trying to slow that attack will be a Scots’ defense led by senior goalkeeper Joel Cowan, sophomore sweeper Mark Allen and senior defender Jeff Samp. Although Hampson is injured and will miss the national tourney, Monmouth’s midfield has picked up the slack, particularly Sandoval, who had the game’s only goal against Lake Forest.