Setting the Scene: The two-time reigning Northwest Conference Champion Lutes continue their five-game homestand today, welcoming Lewis & Clark College to East Field.
Series History: The Lutes and Pioneers have met 18 times since the 1980 season with PLU owning a 17-match win streak. Pacific Lutheran pummeled Lewis & Clark 4-1 in Portland and 8-0 in Tacoma last fall. Since the Pios restarted their program in 2022, PLU has outscored the Pios 27-2.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (1-3) looks to continue its momentum after closing a difficult non-league slate with a win. The Lutes opened the year in Minnesota, falling to a pair of NCAA Tournament teams in Saint Olaf College (4-1) and 19th-ranked Gustavus Adolphus College (2-0).
Ty Brunner gave the Lutes an early lead in the home opener on Sept. 5, but visiting Wheaton College (Ill.) scored two quick goals early in the second half to steal the game 2-1.
PLU answered two days later, getting a late goal from Mike Murega in a 2-1 victory over the University of California-Santa Cruz.
PLU's four goals have all come from a different player with six total Lutes registering a point so far this year. Ty Brunner leads the team in points (three) with a goal and an assist through the opening four games.
Chris Jamrok has been the primary keeper so far, making 12 saves this season.
About the Pioneers: Lewis & Clark (0-3-1) enters league play searching for its first win of the season.
The Pioneers opened the year with 4-0 setbacks against both Bushnell University and Whittier College. Lewis & Clark scored twice in the first half, getting a penalty kick goal from Sam London and a goal from Dylan Weinstein just before halftime in a 2-2 draw with Northwest University on Sept. 13. The Pios finished off their non-conference slate with a 2-0 loss last Saturday to Corbin University.
L&C has scored just two goals this season with Sam London and Dylan Weinstein the two players registering points.
The Pios have rotated three goalkeepers this fall with Micaiah Garan seeing the most work, making 17 saves with a 3.50 goals against average.
Home Sweet Home
The Lutes have been a tough squad to play at home since the 2017 season, owning a 54-11-8 record at East Field during that stretch. That includes a 16-1-2 record over the past two seasons and a 26-2-2 mark since the 2022 campaign.
Highlights from Luteville
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:
Sept. 24 vs. Puget Sound at 6:30 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