Setting the Scene: The Pacific Lutheran University women's lacrosse team is back at home, riding an early season slate that has the Lutes playing six of their first eight games on the artificial turf at East Field. PLU's opponent will be Linfield University in a non-conference clash between Northwest Conference schools.
Series History: This will be the third all-time meeting between the Lutes and Wildcats. Linfield won the non-conference meeting 16-3 last year on March 15 before prevailing 20-1 on East Field on April 6 in the conference showdown between the two teams.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (1-3) continues its non-conference slate today, looking to snap a two-game skid. The Lutes used a late surge to defeat Eastern Oregon University 12-10 back on Feb. 27 but was unable to replicate that success last weekend, stumbling 14-10 to crosstown rival University of Puget Sound on March 7 before falling 17-0 on the road to Pacific University the following day.
It was a frantic opening quarter for both the Lutes and Loggers last Saturday, scoring 11 of the game's 24 goals in that initial frame. PLU owned a 9-8 lead at the half but ran out of steam down the stretch with Puget Sound scoring six of the seven goals in the second half.
Seven different Lutes scored goals against Puget Sound with Paige Hackman leading the way with three points from a pair of goals and an assist. Taylee Alldredge and Emily Mejia both joined Hackman with a pair of goals while Peyton Terhar had a goal and an assist.
Taylee Alldredge and Isabella Marchio share the team lead in both goals (seven) and points (eight). Paige Hackman is the leader in assists with three while also adding a pair of goals. Kathleen Swankowski has four goals with Peyton Terhar and Emily Mejia both scoring three through the opening four games of 2026.
Defensively, Gracie Cecka leads the team in ground balls (21) and caused turnovers (nine) while Hackman has 20 and eight, respectively.
Kassie Diller has played every minute in goal this season and has made 30 saves this season with a .380 save percentage.
About the Wildcats: Linfield (1-3) dropped its opening three games of the season before hitting its stride on Sundau, taking down Puget Sound 15-8 for its first win of the season.
The Wildcats opened the season with a 17-3 home defeat against University of Redlands before dropping an agonizing 10-8 setback against Pacific University on Feb. 28. Linfield came up short 18-7 against Lewis & Clark College on March 4 before picking up the road win over the Loggers on Sunday.
The win over Puget Sound saw the Loggers score 23 seconds into the game and led wire-to-wire. Gabby Crist had six goals while the Wildcats held the Loggers to just one goal in the second half.
Gabby Crist leads the Wildcats in both scoring (14) and points (15) through the first four games of 2026. Savannah Irwin has tallied six goals and a team-best two assists with Apple Riso and Heidi Schaefer both netting four goals this season.
Teniey Hodge has played all 240 minutes in goal with 30 saves and a .361 save percentage.
Luteville, USA: The Lutes 2026 roster features 16 student-athletes that hail from six different states. That includes 10 players from Washington and two from Oregon. PLU also has players from California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.
NWC Preseason Poll
The Lutes will be looking to buck expectations in year two as a varsity program after being picked ninth in the NWC Preseason Coaches' Poll released on Feb. 20. PLU secured 10 points and sits six points shy of eighth-ranked Pacific University. Whitman College and George Fox University are tied at the top, both securing 59 points.
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 Game:
Mar. 23 vs. Lawrence at 1 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