Setting the Scene: The reigning seven-time Northwest Conference Champion Lutes return home to the friendly confines of East Field riding a five game win streak and an eight game unbeaten run and face in-state rival Whitman.
Series History: The Lutes enjoyed a 54-19-7 edge in the all-time series against the Blues in a series that dates back to the 1981 campaign. Despite winning the NWC title last fall, Whitman proved to be a thorny opponent for the Lutes, sweeping the season series. The Blues upset the Lutes 2-1 on Sept. 17 on East Field before netting a 1-0 win on Oct. 15.
About the Lutes: 25th-ranked Pacific Lutheran (6-1-3, 5-0-1 NWC) sits atop the league standings, outscoring its first six opponents by a combined 14-3 scoreline. That includes clean sheets in four of the six games.
Last weekend, the Lutes hammered George Fox 4-1 on Saturday before slipping past Pacific 2-0 on Sunday afternoon. Hannah Cecil scored twice in the victory over George Fox, one of five Lutes to score over the weekend in Oregon.
Defensively, the Lutes limited its two opponents to just nine total shots and only four shots on goal. Katelyn McDougal played in 174 of the 180 minutes over the weekend and on Monday was tabbed the NWC Defensive Player of the Week.
Nine Lutes have scored a goal this season while 12 total PLU players have tallied a point through the opening 10 games of the year. Julia Causbie leads the team in both assists (six) and points (14) while Hannah Cecil is the leading goalscorer with five goals in 2024. Four other Lutes have scored at least twice.
Abby Winkler has spent all but nine minutes in goal this season, boasting a 1.01 goals against average with four shutouts and 47 saves on the year.
About the Blues: Whitman (6-3-1, 3-2-1 NWC) heads to Luteville having won their last two games by a combined 8-1 margin. The Blues scored twice in the second half, including a goal in the final 54 seconds by Avery Cohen for a 2-1 win over Willamette. The following day, Whitman piled on four goals in the second half, including two from Leah Barnes in a 6-0 rout of Lewis & Clark.
The Blues have been a tough team to beat at home, owning a 4-1-1 mark in Walla Walla but are just 2-2 away from Washington's wine country.
The Blues have outscored opponents 17-5 this season, posting shutouts in six of the 10 games this fall.
Leah Barnes leads the Blues in goals (five), assists (four), and points (14). Virginia Hunt is tied for the team lead in assists with four while Ella Johnson has three goals on the year, including a pair of game winners.
Lindsey Pasena-Littlesky is the team's primary keeper, owning a 0.50 goals against average with 17 saves in 540 minutes of action. Seanee Still has played in 344 minutes for Whitman, racking up 12 saves with a 0.52 GAA.
Home Sweet Home: East Field has been a daunting venue for opposing teams since the 2014 season, winning 26 of the last 33 on the synthetic surface. The Lutes boast a 78-9-10 record on the artificial turf over the past 10 seasons. That includes a 10-0 record in 2021 and a 8-1-1 mark at home in 2022.
Weekend Highlights from Around Luteville
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:
Oct. 13 vs. Whitworth at 2:45 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