Setting the Scene: The first-place Lutes honor its senior class today prior to a showdown against NWC rival Lewis & Clark.
Series History: Pacific Lutheran has dominated the all-time series against Lewis & Clark, holding a 45-5-6 edge in the series since the 1981 season. The Lutes are unbeaten (17-0-2) in the last 19 meetings, outscoring the Pios 45-6 during that span.
That includes a 4-0 victory back on Sept. 30 in Portland with the Lutes getting two goals from Hannah Cecil along with goals from Julia Causbie 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 Pioneers: Lewis & Clark (5-8-3, 4-5-3 NWC) heads into the weekend sitting in fifth place in the conference standings. The Pios split a pair of games last weekend, earning a 1-0 road victory over Linfield before ending up on the wrong side of a 3-0 scoreline against Puget Sound.
Celeste Schreifels had a hand in eight of the team's 15 goals this season, leading the team in goals (four), assists (four), and points (12). Megan Yang is second on the team in goals (three) and points (seven). All told, nine different Pios have scored a goal this fall.
Sophia Young is Lewis & Clark's primary goalkeeper, logging 1,328 minutes between the posts with 48 saves and a 1.49 goals against average.
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.
Thank You Seniors!
Senior Class by the Numbers
53-11-5 overall record over the past four seasons
43-8-3 record in NWC play over the past four seasons
25-4-1 record at East Field over the past four seasons
Two NWC Titles
Two NCAA Division III Tournament Appearances
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:
Nov. 1 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