Setting the Scene: The two-time reigning Northwest Conference Champion Lutes return home after five straight games on the road, enjoying the comforts of East Field as Oregon rival Willamette University comes to Tacoma.
Series History: The Lutes and Bearcats have met 76 times since the 1980 campaign with the scales tilted 41-27-8 in favor of PLU. The two squads last met on Sept. 27 in Salem, battling to a 3-3 stalemate. That game saw Connor O'Brien scored twice only to see the host Bearcats equalize in the 76th minute to salvage a draw.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (9-3-3, 8-0-3 NWC) returns to East Field riding a three-game win streak and a 12-match unbeaten run. More importantly, the two-time defending NWC Champion Lutes control their own destiny sitting two points behind Whitman College with five games left in the regular season.
That three-game win streak has seen the high-octane Lutes outscored its opponents by a 13-4 margin. That includes piling on nine goals in the first half of the previous two games. PLU began the win streak last Saturday with a 3-1 win over host Lewis & Clark College. The Lutes had four first half scores in a 5-1 thrashing of George Fox University last Sunday before banging in five first half goals in a 5-2 win over crosstown rival University of Puget Sound. That included two goals from Yuta Shimazu.
Owen Bliskis sits one goal back of the NWC leader in scoring with nine goals on the 2025 season while Connor O'Brien leads the league in assists (nine) and is third in points (21) and seventh in the nine-team circuit in goals (six).
Gio Aguilar-Gutierrez is second in the league in goals against average at 1.158 and leads the league in save percentage at .807. Aguilar-Guterrez has 46 total saves on the season, second best in the NWC.
About the Bearcats: Willamette (4-5-7, 4-2-6 NWC) heads into the weekend riding a six-game unbeaten streak (3-0-3). The Bearcats last setback was back in late September, stumbling 3-1 to Puget Sound at home on the 28th.
Since then the Bearcats have tallied ties with Linfield (1-1), Pacific (1-1), and Whitman (1-1), sandwiched around wins over Lewis & Clark (1-0), George Fox (2-1), and Whitworth (5-4).
The Whitworth game last Sunday saw Willamette get two goals from Rory McKee, taking a 5-1 halftime lead. The visiting Pirates made it a close game late, scoring goals in the 77th, 81st, and 88th minutes.
Ky Iliev leads the Bearcats offense with eight goals and 18 points through the first 16 games of the year. Rory McKee has five goals and three assists while Branden Pineda dishes up a team-best six assists.
Mikkel Jensen has been an ironman in goal, playing every minute of every game so far the fall. Jensen has a 1.81 goals against average and 36 saves on the year, with two shutouts to his name.
Home Sweet Home
The Lutes have been a tough squad to play at home since the 2017 season, owning a 59-11-8 record at East Field during that stretch. That includes a 21-1-2 record over the past two seasons and a 31-2-2 mark since the 2022 campaign.
Luteville Highlights
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 14-point buffer on in-state rival Whitworth University.
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. 5 vs. Whitworth at 1:45 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