Setting the Scene: The reigning Northwest Conference Champion Lutes are back at the friendly confines of East Field, opening a three-game homestand against Oregon rival Lewis & Clark College.
Series History: The Lutes and Pioneers have met just 17 times since the 1980 campaign with PLU holding a 16-1 edge in the series. Lewis & Clark won the first ever meeting in 1980 but its been all Lutes since, including winning the last four meetings by a combined 19-2 scoreline.
That includes a 4-1 victory earlier this season on Sept. 28 in Portland, a game that saw four different Lutes score first half goals.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (9-1-5, 7-0-4 NWC) remains atop the conference standings, returning home with a 14-game unbeaten streak.
Last weekend it was the Trevor Thompson show. The senior scored three goals over the weekend as the Lutes secured a 3-1 road win at Linfied University and secured a 1-1 draw with Willamette University. Thompson had two second half goals in the win over the Wildcats before netting the squad's lone score in the tie with the Bearcats.
On Wednesday the Lutes faced their crosstown nemesis, settling for a 1-1 stalemate. PLU dominated the stat sheet against the Loggers, outshooting the hosts 17-5, including an 11-1 advantage in shots on goal.
Owen Bliskis scored in the 82nd minute to give PLU the lead but it proved to be short lived as the Loggers tallied an equalizer just seven minutes later.
Trevor Thompson leads the NWC in both points (34) and goals (14) while Craig Johnson leads the conference in assists (eight) and is fourth in both points (22) and goals (seven). Thompson additionally ranks 11th nationally in total points and 13th in total goals while Johnson is 20th in all of NCAA D3 in total assists.
Nicholas Gaston ranks second in the NWC in goals against average (.969) while sitting third in the league in shutouts (three) and saves (51).
As a team, PLU sits 20th in all of NCAA Division III (407 teams ranked) in goal differential with a +27 difference this fall.
About the Pioneers: Lewis & Clark (0-13, 0-9 NWC) heads into the weekend looking to snap a 16-game slide and collect its first victory since restarting the program in 2022.
Last weekend, the Pios nearly snapped their losing skid, scoring just eight minutes in against host George Fox University. The game was tied until the Bruins found the back of the net with 83 seconds left to escape with the 2-1 win. On Wednesday, Lewis & Clark kept Willamette off the scoreboard the opening 32 minutes of play before the Bearcats scored four, including three in the second stanza for a 4-0 win.
Since the program was resurrected in 2022, the Pios are 0-39-1. That tie was a scoreless draw against George Fox on the road last season on Oct. 25.
Of the team's six goals, two have come off the boot of Ishan Abraham while Daniel Estoll has a team-best two assists. Micaiah Garan is the Pios primary goalkeeper with a 2.69 goals against average and 47 saves on the season.
Record Book Watch: Three Lutes have or are close to school records. Craig Johnson owns the school record for points (130) and is third in career assists (34) and fourth in goals (48).
Trevor Thompson sits fifth in goals (46) while lurking second in points (121) and fourth in assists (28).
Goalkeeper Nicholas Gaston is the third Lute chasing the record books. With 7,027 minutes played he already holds the school record for minutes played by a goalkeeper. He additionally sits second in school history in both saves (275) and shutouts (22).
Weekend Highlights from Around Luteville
Home Cooking: East Field has been a daunting place for opponents to play since the 2015 season with the Lutes holding a 62-15-9 advantage in games played on campus. That includes a 35-7-5 mark over the past five seasons. Last fall the Lutes were a perfect 8-0 on the home turf and are 22-1-1 at home over the past three seasons.
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:
Nov. 2 vs. Pacific at 11 a.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