Setting the Scene: The first-place Lutes march closer to securing their seventh consecutive Northwest Conference title, resuming their final homestand of the season today against Oregon rival Pacific.
Series History: Pacific Lutheran and Pacific have battled 76 times on the soccer pitch since the 1981 season with the Lutes enjoying a 50-16-10 edge in the all-time series. PLU has dominated the series as of late, winning 13 in a row, a stretch dating back to the 2016 season. In those 13 wins, the Lutes have outscored the Boxers 42-3, including winning 10 of those games by shutout.
The two teams last met on Oct. 1 in Forest Grove with the Lutes prevailing 4-0 behind a pair of goals from Julia Causbie and additional scores from Hannah Cecil and Alyssa Leong.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (12-3-1, 10-2 NWC) sits in the drivers' seat with a seven point lead on the rest of the NWC heading into the final two weeks of the regular season.
PLU has won 10 of its last 11, including blanking George Fox and Linfield by a combined 7-0 scoreline last weekend.
Hannah Cecil, Lily Dose, and Alyssa Leong all scored in a 3-0 win over George Fox before getting goals from Meghan Michels, Kayden Hulquist, Causbie, and Dose in Sunday's 4-0 victory over Linfield. PLU's defense was dialed in against the Wildcats, limiting the visitors to just three total shots and none on goal.
Leong upped her season assists tally to 10 on the year with four helpers across the two games.
On Monday Joelle Buck was recognized by the NWC office, earning NWC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Buck anchored a defensive unit that posted two clean sheets and allowed just nine total shots over the weekend.
Alyssa Leong leads the NWC and ranks ninth nationally in assists (10) and 17th in assists per game (0.62) while Abby Winkler ranks 25th nationally in shutouts (seven) in addition to leading the NWC in both minutes played (1,378) and goals against average (0.588).
Hannah Cecil leads the conference in both goals (13) and points (29) while Leong and Julia Causbie rank second in the league in scoring with eight goals apiece.
About the Boxers: Pacific (4-10-1, 3-8-1 NWC) heads to East Field having won two of its last three games. The Boxers opened league play with a 2-0 victory over George Fox on Sept. 17 before suffering through a seven-game slide. Pacific busted out of the slump with a scoreless draw against Lewis & Clark on Oct. 14 before picking up a 2-1 win over George Fox on Oct. 15 and a 1-0 win over Whitman on Oct. 21.
The Boxers' weekend ended on a sour note however, dropping Sunday's tilt with Whitworth 1-0.
Pacific has scored just nine goals in its 15 games this season with Katelyn Volchok the team leader in goals (two), assists (two), and points (six). Julia Fechter has two goals and an assist while five other players have registered a point this fall.
Isabella De La Cruz is the Boxer's primary keeper, making 48 saves on the year in 912 minutes played.
Home Sweet Home: East Field has been a daunting venue for opposing teams since the 2014 season, winning 25 of the last 28 on the synthetic surface. The Lutes boast a 74-8-7 record on the artificial turf over the past nine seasons. That includes a 10-0 record in 2021 and a 8-1-1 mark at home last fall.
Women's Soccer Tackling Mental Health
PLU women's soccer student-athletes Julia Causbie and Kayden Hulquist have taken the initiative to raise awareness for mental health, organizing an official chapter of The Hidden Opponent (THO) on campus. Learn more in the above video.
NWC Preseason Coaches' Poll
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. 29 vs. Lewis & Clark 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