Setting the Scene: The two-time reigning Northwest Conference Champion Lutes finish off their opening homestand today, welcoming crosstown rival University of Puget Sound to East Field for a clash of NWC unbeatens.
Series History: The Lutes are unbeaten against the Loggers since 2022, compiling a 4-0-2 mark against the intracity rival. Last fall the team battled to a pair of 1-1 stalemates, first on Sept. 25 at East Field and again at UPS on Oct. 23.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran's (3-3, 2-0 NWC) gritty non-conference schedule paid dividends over the weekend as the Lutes opened up its conference title defense with a pair of shutout wins.
Three different Lutes scored in the NWC opener against George Fox University, including Ty Brunner scoring the game winner in the fourth minute. Owen Bliskis had the assist on the game winner and added a goal of his own in the 12th minute while Connor O"Brien tallied a penalty kick goal in the second minute of the second half.
Gio Aguilar-Gutierrez made his season debut in goal, stopping four shots for the clean sheet.
On Sunday it took a lot longer but the end result was the same, outshooting Lewis & Clark College 39-5 to secure a 3-0 victory. Quinn Bieber opened the scoring in the 61st minute before getting insurance strikes from Ty Brunner in the 85th minute and Misha Turchaninov in the 88th.
Seven Lutes have scored a goal this fall with Ty Brunner leading the way in both goals (three) and points (seven). Connor O'Brien adds two goals and two assists while Quinn Bieber has one goal and two helpers to his name.
Three keepers have seen action this fall with Chris Jamrok and Go Aguilar-Gutierrez seeing the majority of the action. Aguilar-Gutierrez has five saves and a 0.00 goals against average in two starts while Jamrok has a team-high 14 saves.
About the Loggers: Puget Sound (3-1-1, 2-0 NWC) plays its first road game of the season after opening the year with five games on campus. The Loggers sit in a three-way tie for first with the Lutes and Washington rival Whitman College and enter tonight on a three match unbeaten run.
The Loggers earned a 2-2 draw with Wheaton College on Sept. 6 before opening conference action last weekend with a 2-0 win over Lewis & Clark and a 4-1 victory over George Fox.
Of the 12 goals UPS has scored this fall, four have come off the boot of Rhys Foote. Foote leads the team in goals (four), assists (three), and points (11) while Jackson Smith has two goals and an assist. Eight total Loggers have scored this fall while 12 total players have tallied a point.
Home Sweet Home
The Lutes have been a tough squad to play at home since the 2017 season, owning a 56-11-8 record at East Field during that stretch. That includes a 18-1-2 record over the past two seasons and a 28-2-2 mark since the 2022 campaign.
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:
Oct. 4 vs. Pacific 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