Setting the Scene: The eight-time defending Northwest Conference Champion Pacific Lutheran University women's soccer team finishes off its brief weekend homestand, welcoming Oregon rival Linfield University to East Field.
Series History: Pacific Lutheran owns a 54-23-3 edge in the all-time series since 1981 and has won the last eight meetings against the Wildcats. The Lutes have outscored Linfield 25-3 over the past eight meetings, including a 3-1 victory last year in McMinnville and a 2-0 win on East Field.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (3-2-3, 3-0-1 NWC) returns home in first place in the conference standings and riding a four-game unbeaten streak. The Lutes took care of business in the NWC opening weekend two weeks ago, securing a 1-0 win over George Fox University before shutting out Lewis & Clark College 2-0 the following day.
The Lutes rallied from an early deficit to score a 1-1 draw against rival University of Puget Sound last Wednesday before ripping off a 3-0 road win over Willamette University last Sunday. Marie Piho tallied her first goal in the Bearcat win, securing the game-winner in the 40th minute before getting instance scores from both Liv Olson and Ally Tattar.
Liv Olson leads the team in both goals (three) and points (six) while Kiana Gutierrez is tied with Olson in points with two goals and two assists in 2025. Olivia Boehm has been the assists leader with three so far this season. As a group, nine different players have registered a point this season.
Abby Winkler has played all but seven minutes this fall, boasting a 0.63 goals against average and having made 42 saves this season. The senior currently sits five saves shy of becoming just the seventh Lute in school history to eclipse 200 career saves.
About the Wildcats: Linfield (5-0-4, 3-0-2 NWC) heads into the weekend with a chance to seize the top spot in the NWC standings, battling conference co-leaders University of Puget Sound and PLU in consecutive days.
Linfield is unbeaten in its nine games this season and started off NWC play 2-0 with wins over Pacific University and Willamette University by a combined 7-1 scoreline. Since then, Linfield battled to a 1-1 stalemate with Whitman College, defeated Whitworth University 2-0, and salvaged a 2-2 draw with Willamette. That game saw the Wildcats trail twice, going down 1-0 in the 19th minute before equalizing in the 44th on a Fia Swanson goal. The Wildcats fell behind just 35 seconds into the second half but Jenna Stanley saved the day with a goal in the 76th minute.
Five of Linfield's 21 goals have come off the boot of Lize Rendon who has a team-leading 11 points on the season (five goals & one assist). Jenna Stanley has four goals in just seven games while Mia Curtaz is the team leader in assists with five helpers. Marley Ells and Amalia Tufts both contribute three assists and a goal.
Alexa Fritz has four clean sheets for the Wildcats, making 32 saves this fall with a 0.89 goals against average.
Luteville Highlights
Home Sweet Home
The Lutes have been nearly unstoppable at home since the 2013 season, enjoying an 91-10-13 record in home games on the artificial turf at East Field. That includes going 7-0-3 last fall and having 10-0 records at home during both the 2021 and 2017 campaigns.
NWC Coaches' Poll
This August, the Lutes were picked to defend their crown according to the annual NWC Coaches' Poll. PLU earned 64 points in the poll, owning a 10-point edge on crosstown nemesis and second ranked Puget Sound.
Trailblazing NIL the D3 Way: PLU Athletics continues to lead the way nationally in Name, Image, and Likeness, unveiling the Luteville Marketplace last fall through the department's partnership with Opendorse. But don't stay on the sidelines, get involved and connect with PLU student-athletes on the Luteville Marketplace: LINK
The Luteville Marketplace is the first dedicated NIL marketplace in Division III on the Opendorse platform that directly connects student-athletes with fans, supporters, and business partners in an easy to use website.
Stay connected to your favorite teams by downloading the official mobile app of the Pacific Lutheran University athletic department powered by SIDEARM Sports, available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
Featuring real-time news alerts, schedules, exclusive multimedia content, gameday details and more, the new PLU Athletics app is free and compatible with both iOS and Android devices.
Next Home Match:
Oct. 26 vs. Willamette at 12 p.m.
PLU Non-Discrimination Policy: Pacific Lutheran University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability or age in its programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Title IX Coordinator Jennifer Childress-White; 253-535-7361; TitleIX@plu.edu