Setting the Scene: The reigning seven-time Northwest Conference Champion Lutes return from Maryland, opening a four-game homestand beginning today against non-conference foe Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
Series History: Pacific Lutheran and Claremont have met six times on the soccer pitch with the Athenas enjoying a 5-1 edge in the series. The two squads last met during the 2019 campaign with host Claremont squeaking out a 1-0 victory.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (1-1) opened the season on the road against some of the best team's in the nation, splitting a pair of games in Maryland.
Olivia Boehm tallied two goals within 40 seconds, putting the visiting Lutes up 2-0 just over five minutes into the game against 17th-ranked Johns Hopkins last Friday. Hannah Cecil scored in the 41st minute as the PLU hung on for the 3-2 victory.
The following day, PLU conceded goals in the 45th and 73rd minutes, falling 2-0 to 25th-ranked McDaniel. The Lutes ripped off 14 shots in the game, including 12 in the second half but was unable to land one in the back of the net.
Olivia Boehm is the Lutes' leading scorer after the opening week of play with two goals on just five shots. Hannah Cecil is the only other Lute with a goal while Kayden Hulquist has the team's lone assist. Boehm, Cecil, and Julia Causbie account for 16 of the Lutes' 19 shots taken this season so far.
Abby Winkler has 14 saves on the season, playing all 180 minutes of the season so far. Winkler netted 11 saves in the big victory over Johns Hopkins while adding three more the following day against the Green Terror.
All-Star Attaways: The NWC released its weekly award winners on Monday with the Lutes' earning a clean sweep of the awards. Olivia Boehm was named NWC Offensive Player of the Week for her two-goal outburst on Friday while Abby Winkler was tabbed NWC Defensive Player of the Week.
It was Boehm's first time earning the award while Winkler was named NWC Defensive Player of the Week on three occasions last fall.
About the Athenas: Claremont (0-0-1) heads to East Field after battling to a scoreless draw against New York University on Sunday to open the season.
It was an even played game that saw the Athenas rip off five shots, including two on goal while the visiting Violets had seven shots and three on frame.
Last fall, Claremont was 7-7-3 overall with a 6-4-2 record in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play. The Athenas qualified for the postseason but were bounced 2-1 in the SCIAC semifinals by neighborhood rivals Pomona-Pitzer Colleges.
Home Sweet Home: East Field has been a daunting venue for opposing teams since the 2014 season, winning 24 of the last 28 on the synthetic surface. The Lutes boast a 76-9-7 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.
Highlights from the Weekend
Check out highlights from the opening weekend of sports in Luteville. From women's soccer upset wins in Maryland, to men's soccer goals in California, volleyball spikes in Walla Walla, and fast times for cross country at Fort Steilacoom Park.
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:
Sept. 7 vs. Case Western Reserve at 6 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