Setting the Scene: The eight-time defending Northwest Conference Champion Pacific Lutheran University women's soccer squad begins its quest for number nine today, opening conference play against George Fox University at East Field.
Series History: The Lutes and Bruins have met 62 times since the series began in 1991 with PLU holding a 43-15-4 advantage in the all-time series. The Lutes are unbeaten in the last 29 meetings (27-0-2), including winning the last five meetings. That included a 2-1 victory at East Field last November and a 4-1 thrashing of the Bruins in Newberg, Oregon.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (0-2-2) opens its title defense after a rugged non-conference slate that included three games against NCAA Tournament squads and two games against nationally-ranked foes.
The Lutes opened the year in the Texas heat, earning a 1-1 draw with University of Saint Thomas and another 1-1 stalemate against host and 10th-ranked Trinity University.
A week later, the Lutes allowed a late goal in a 1-0 setback to California Lutheran University before falling by the same scoreline to 19th-ranked Pomona-Pitzer Colleges.
Kiana Gutierrez and Liv Olson have been the two goal scorers so far for the Lutes, getting assists from Olivia Boehm and Zoe Markquart.
Abby Winkler has been tough in goal over the opening four games, playing every minute of every match and making 32 saves so far.
About the Bruins: George Fox (0-1-4, 0-0-2 NWC) heads into the weekend on a four game unbeaten run, earning four straight draws after a season opening 1-0 setback to Whittier College (Calif.).
Since then, the Bruins have battled University of La Verne (Calif.) to a scoreless stalemate and earned a 1-1 draw with Bushnell University (Ore.). George Fox got an early jump on NWC play, opening league action last weekend with a pair of scoreless ties against Willamette University and Pacific University.
The Bruins mustered just three shots and only one on target against the Bearcats but ripped off 10 total and three on frame against the Boxers.
Makena Speer has the Bruins' lone goal of the season, scoring unassisted. Sarah Burkes has played every minute of every game and anchors a defense that has allowed just two goals through the opening five games.
GFU has had two goalies see action this fall with Marisa Lam seeing the bulk of the time with 19 saves and a 0.33 goals against average in three starts. Emily Robey has made two starts, making seven saves with a 0.50 GAA.
Home Sweet Home
The Lutes have been nearly unstoppable at home since the 2013 season, enjoying an 89-10-12 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.
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 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:
Sept. 21 vs. Lewis & Clark 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