Setting the Scene: The eight-time defending Northwest Conference Champion Pacific Lutheran University women's soccer team closes out its opening homestand of the season today, welcoming crosstown nemesis University of Puget Sound to East Field in a showdown of NWC unbeatens.
Series History: The Lutes and Loggers have met 82 times since the series began in 1982 with Puget Sound holding a 52-24-6 advantage in the all-time series. Last season, the Lutes earned a 1-0 victory over the Loggers on East Field on Sept. 25 while battling to a scoreless draw a month later at UPS.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (2-2-2, 2-0 NWC) opened its NWC title defense over the weekend, securing a pair of shutout victories on East Field.
Bella Hanna tallied the game's lone goal on Saturday as the Lutes slipped past George Fox University 1-0. Hanna tallied the winner in the 16th minute in a game the stout PLU defense allowed just three total shots and none on target.
The following day against Lewis & Clark College, Kiana Gutierrez scored the game winner in the first minute of the second half before assisting on a Liv Olson goal nine minutes later in a 2-0 triumph.
Gutierrez finished the weekend with one goal and two assists and on Monday was named the NWC Offensive Player of the Week. It's the first career honor for the Auburn, Washington native and is the second time this fall a Lute has won Athlete of the Week.
Kiana Gutierrez leads the Lutes in goals (two), assists (two), and points (six) through the opening six games. Liv Olson is tied with Gutierrez with two goals while five total Lutes have inked a point this fall.
Abby Winkler has played every minute in goal and boasts a 0.67 goals against average on the season with 35 saves. The senior enters today's clash having gone 252 minutes without allowing a goal, a streak spanning across three games.
About the Loggers: Puget Sound (3-2-1, 2-0 NWC) sits tied atop the league standings with the Lutes after earning a pair of clean sheets over the weekend to begin conference play. The Loggers outshot Lewis & Clark 21-1 and tallied a pair of first half scores in a 2-0 win on Saturday before scored twice in the first half the following day against George Fox in a 3-0 victory.
UPS and PLU have played four common opponents in NWC rivals Lewis & Clark and George Fox along with non-conference foes Pomona-Pitzer Colleges and California Lutheran University. Both the Loggers and Lutes have experienced similar results against those opponents both going 2-2 in those four games.
Leila Hausia-Haugen and Zoe Witter are tied for the team lead in scoring with three goals apiece while Kate Short has a pair of goals. All told, six different players have registered a point so far this season.
Gianna Maldonado has three shutouts this season and was named the NWC Defensive Player of the Week on Monday. Maldonado has 29 saves this season with a 0.67 goals against average.
Home Sweet Home
The Lutes have been nearly unstoppable at home since the 2013 season, enjoying an 91-10-12 record in home games on the artificial turf at East Field. That includes going 7-0-3 last fall and having 10-0 records at home during both the 2021 and 2017 campaigns.
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 10-point edge on crosstown nemesis and second ranked Puget Sound.
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. 4 vs. Pacific 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