Setting the Scene: The reigning Northwest Conference Champion Lutes continue their homestand today, taking on Oregon rival Linfield University.
Series History: The Lutes and Wildcats have met 70 times on the pitch since the 1980 campaign with PLU holding a commanding 46-20-4 edge in the series.
The Lutes are unbeaten in the last 20 meetings, going 17-0-3 in that stretch. That includes a 2-0 victory last season on Oct. 22 and a scoreless tie on Sept. 24.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (2-1-1) closes its non-conference slate on a high note, securing a pair of wins last weekend.
The Lutes conceded an own goal just before halftime last Friday against reigning Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Champion Calvin College but needed just 27 seconds in the second half to equalize the score, courtesy of a goal from Trevor Thompson.
Thompson wasn't finished, scoring in the 49th minute off a feed from Misha Turchaninov to secure the 2-1 victory.
Two days later, undefeated Warner Pacific struck first with a goal in the 13th minute. PLU regrouped at halftime with Craig Johnson converting a penalty kick early in the second half before Thompson netted the game winner on a Johnson assist in the 64th minute. Yuta Shimazu capped off the day with an insurance goal in the 87th minute off a feed from Thompson.
All-Star Attaways: On Monday the Lutes earned a sweep of the NWC Weekly Awards with Trevor Thompson snagging NWC Offensive Player of the Week and Nicholas Gaston securing NWC Defensive Player of the Week.
Thompson secured the honor after finishing the weekend with three goals and an assist, including both game-winners from the weekend. The Olympia, Washington native has been on a tear this fall, scoring in every game this season. With six goals on the season, Thompson ranks second in all of NCAA Division III in goals per game and is third in points per game.
Nicholas Gaston lands the Defensive Honor after playing all 180 minutes in goal for the Lutes and making eight saves. The Mililani, Hawaii native made four saves on Friday and four more on Sunday. Sunday's game additionally saw the senior shatter the school record for minutes played by a goalkeeper. Gaston has now logged 6,087 minutes between the posts over the past five seasons.
About the Wildcats: Linfield (1-5, 0-2 NWC) rolled Bushnell University 4-1 in the season opener back on August 30 but its been tough sledding since, having a winless September so far.
The dry spell includes non-conference defeats at the hands of Warner Pacific University (3-1), Bridgewater University (6-1), and Eastern Mennonite University (2-0).
The Cats got an early start to conference play last Sunday, falling 4-1 to Pacific University at home before suffering a 1-0 setback on Wednesday in the rematch with the Boxers.
Six Wildcats have found the back of the net this season with E.J. Sablan leading the way with with two goals and six total points. Sid Kosaris is second on the team in points with five while pacing the squad in assists with three on the young season.
Linfield has split two keepers over the opening six games. Colby Reese has a team-best 2.67 goals against average with 10 saves while Jacob Toves has 11 saves to his name with a 3.00 GAA.
Home Cooking: East Field has been a daunting place for opponents to play since the 2015 season with the Lutes holding a 59-15-7 advantage in games played on campus. That includes a 32-7-3 mark over the past five seasons. Last fall the Lutes were a perfect 8-0 on the home turf and are 19-1 at home over the past three seasons.
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.
Last spring PLU became just the second Division III school in the nation and the first school in any division in the State of Washington to partner with Athlete's Thread. Athlete's Thread allows every Lute student-athlete to sell customizable gear and jerseys with their name and number and receive monetary compensation for a portion of each sale. Check out the link above to order your gear today!
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:
Sept. 25 vs. Puget Sound at 4 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