Setting the Scene: The eight-time defending Northwest Conference Champion Pacific Lutheran University women's soccer close out the regular season today, welcoming in-state rival Whitman College to East Field for a match with conference title implications.
Series History: The Lutes and Blues have met 83 times since the 1981 campaign with PLU holding a commanding 57-19-7 edge in the all-time series.
Pacific Lutheran has won the last three meetings, including a 2-1 victory in Walla Walla back on Oct. 11. That game saw Liv Olson score twice, including in the third minute and the game winner in the 70th minute.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (10-2-6, 10-0-4 NWC) gets to unpack its bags after playing seven of its last eight games on the road. The Lutes own a 14-game unbeaten streak and sit tied for first place with crosstown rival University of Puget Sound with two games to play.
Liv Olson scored in the 79th minute last Saturday in a 1-0 victory over host Linfield University. That game saw the Lutes keep the Wildcats at bay, limiting the hosts to just two total shots and just one on frame.
The following day was a 1-1 draw, eliminating PLU's slim lead in the standings over Puget Sound. Kiana Gutierrez tallied the game's first goal in the 70th minute but the Boxers scored an equalizer in the 84th minute. Pacific was awarded a penalty kick with the initial shot blocked but a rebound allowed the Boxers another shot that made it through and snapped PLU's shutout streak at 693 minutes.
PLU's shutout streak spanned across eight games and included six shutouts while the Lutes allowed just one goal over the entire month of October.
Liv Olson leads the Lute scoring attack with nine of the team's 20 goals this fall. Kiana Gutierrez leads the team in assists with six and ranks second in both goals (three) and points (12). Tia Schwetz is the only other Lute with multiple goals with two while Olivia Boehm had one goal and three assists. All told, nine different players have scored this fall with 13 total players registering a point.
Abby Winkler has played all but seven minutes in goal for the Lutes, posting 82 saves and a minuscule 0.39 goals against average. That includes 10 shutouts and a .921 save percentage. Winkler has been named the NWC Defensive Player of the Week on three occasions this season, including on Monday for her efforts on the road in Oregon.
About the Blues: Whitman (5-4-9, 4-3-7 NWC) heads across the state riding a four-game unbeaten run. That included a 1-1 tie with Whitworth, a scoreless draw with Linfield and two big wins at the expense of George Fox (5-0) and Lewis & Clark (3-0).
Against George Fox, the host Blues needed less than two minutes to get on the board with a goal from Emory Lash and enjoyed a 4-0 lead at the break. Whitman finished the game outshooting George Fox by an 11-1 margin.
The following day, Kiki Glorioso put the Blues up 1-0 in the sixth minute before getting goals in the 56th and 75th minutes in a contest Whitman outshot the Pios 15-4.
Bailey Bell has been the Blues' top scoring threat with seven goals on the season while Emory Lash has four goals and two assists. Emma Foley leads the team in assists with four while Erica Baba and Karen Mathew both have three helpers to their name.
All told, 10 players have scored a goal this year and 15 players have registered a point.
Eleanor Johnson has started 14 of the team's 18 games in goal with a 0.71 goals against average and 27 saves in 765 minutes of work. Sean Still has seen the same amount of minutes in goal with a 1.18 GAA and a team-best 29 saves. Together, they've posted six shutouts this fall.
Thank You Seniors
This year's senior class have continued the program's legacy of success, winning three NWC titles and making three trips to the NCAA Division III Tournament. That includes owning a 58-11-14 overall record over the past four years, including a 51-4-6 mark in NWC play and a 25-5-6 record at East Field.
This year's seniors have been unbeaten in conference play (24-0-6) over the last two seasons.
Home Sweet Home
The Lutes have been nearly unstoppable at home since the 2013 season, enjoying an 93-10-14 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.
Luteville Highlights
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 Match:
TBA
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