Setting the Scene: The first-place Lutes honor their senior class today prior to a clash against NWC newcomer Lewis & Clark.
Series History: The Pioneers won the first-ever meeting back in 1980 but it's been all Lutes since, enjoying a 14-1 advantage in the all-time series. That includes outscoring the Pios 10-1 over the last two meetings since Lewis & Clark reinstated men's soccer as a varsity program.
The two teams last met on Sept. 30 in Portland with the Lutes cruising to a 5-0 victory. Craig Johnson and Owen Bliskis both scored a pair of goals while Trevor Thompson added a late score.
About the Lutes: 15th-ranked and NWC-leading Pacific Lutheran (11-1-4, 10-0-2 NWC) has been on a tear, outscoring its last six opponents by a combined 26-5 scoreline. That includes a 7-0 thumping of George Fox and a 2-0 win over Linfield last weekend.
Against the Bruins, five different Lutes scored goals, including Trevor Thompson and Craig Johnson both netting a pair of scores. PLU's defense was equally dialed in, allowing just two shots and only one on frame.
The following day against Linfield, Robby Guyer scored in the 13th minute and Dane Helle scored in the 52nd, powering PLU to the 2-0 victory.
The high-octane Lutes rank fourth nationally in scoring offense (3.62), points per game (10.0), and assists per game (2.75), while sitting sixth in D3 in goal differential (+44).
Craig Johnson sits fifth in the nation in total points (42), seventh in game-winning goals (five), and 10th in total goals (17).
All-Star Attaways: The Lutes swept the NWC Player of the Week awards this week with Craig Johnson earning Offensive Player of the Week and Cole Dobson nabbing Defensive Player of the Week.
It's the third consecutive week and fourth time this fall the Lutes have won NWC Defensive Player of the Week with Alex White securing the honor on Oct. 9 & 16 and Alvin Kamau earning the accolade on Sept. 18.
About the Pioneers: Lewis & Clark (0-16-1, 0-12-1 NWC) heads into the weekend searching for its first victory of the season.
The Pios snapped a 16-game slide last Sunday, securing a scoreless draw on the road against George Fox. Micaiah Garan had a big day in goal for Lewis & Clark, making six saves for his first clean sheet of the season.
The Pios have been outscored 70-6 this season with Nadal Dicovski accounting for four of those goals. Been Boda has a team-leading two assists with Nathaniel Pi-Sunyer and Daniel Estoll have both scored goals this fall.
Four keepers have made starts this fall for the Pios with Ben Tallent leading the team in minutes played (564), saves (37), and games played (nine).
Home Cooking: East Field has been a daunting place for opponents to play since the 2015 season with the Lutes holding a 55-15-7 advantage in games played on campus. That includes a 28-7-3 mark over the past three seasons. Last fall the Lutes were 10-1 on the home turf.
Thank You Seniors!
2023 Seniors By the Numbers:
2 NCAA Tournament Appearances
1 Northwest Conference Title & 1 NWC Washington State Title
53 wins over the last four seasons
40 wins in conference over the last four seasons
26-5-1 record at East Field
NWC Preseason Coaches' Poll
Summer Lutes
PLU men's soccer student-athlete Elijah Singleton had a busy summer serving as an intern in a lab at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center. Learn more about his daily routine in the video below.
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:
Nov. 1 vs. Puget Sound at 4 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