Setting the Scene: The Pacific Lutheran University women's lacrosse team closes out its non-conference slate today, welcoming Kalamazoo College to East Field before embarking on its eight-game Northwest Conference slate.
Series History: This is the first all-time meeting between the Lutes and the Hornets. PLU is 3-3 all-time against teams not from the Northwest Conference and its currently 1-0 against teams from the Midwest after securing a 7-5 victory over Lawrence University (Wis.) on Monday afternoon.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (2-5) relied on its stingy defense on Monday afternoon, holding visiting Lawrence University to just two goals through the opening three quarters in a 7-5 non-conference win.
Issabella Marchio, Taylee Alldredge, and Emily Mejia all scored a pair of goals in the win with Paige Hackman providing a pair of assists. Mejia came off the bench and scored twice in the fourth quarter while Alldredge also struck twice in a wild final 15 minutes that saw seven goals scored between the two squads.
Hackman anchored a stout defensive effort for the Lutes with eight ground balls and six caused turnovers, holding the Vikings to just five goals which is a new program record for fewest goals allowed.
Kassie Diller was superb in net, making six saves with a team-best nine ground balls.
Taylee Alldredge and Issabella Marchio are tied for the team lead in both goals (nine) and points (11) while Kathleen Swanjowsko has seven goals on the season. Paige Hackman leads the way with five assists while Emily Mejia has found the pack of the net five times in 2026.
Gracie Cecka leads the defense with 33 ground balls while Hackman has 31 along with a team-high 18 caused turnovers and 23 draw controls.
Kassie Diller has played every minute of every game since the Lutes became a varsity program last spring. The junior has 56 saves on the season with a 12.71 goals against average through the opening seven games.
About the Hornets: Kalamazoo (2-6) continues its tour of the Evergreen State today after having already played the Whits over the weekend. The Hornets scored the opening three goals against Whitworth University last Thursday but the hosts battled back, eventually staking a 12-9 lead early in the fourth quarter. A slew of goals tied the game at 12 with 8:54 remaining before the host Pirates tallied the winning goal with 2:31 left for the 13-12 victory.
Kalamazoo led 12-10 against Whitman College two days later with 1:42 left in regulation but surrendered the final three goals, including a game tying goal with eight seconds left to force overtime. In overtime, the host Blues needed just 13 seconds to get on the board, sending the Hornets their second straight 13-12 setback.
Kalamazoo has two wins on the season, a 23-0 season opening thrashing of Elmhusrt College back on Feb. 17 before downing Ohio Northern University 11-7 on Feb. 25. The Hornets are 2-2 at home but are winless on the road through the first four road games of 2026.
Ella Spooner is the Hornet's leading scorer, stinging the back of the net 28 times while also adding eight assists. Tessa Fuller has 19 goals in eight games along with 10 helpers while Abbie Caza has 12 goals and a team-best 11 assists. Sophie Hart is the fourth Hornet with double digit goal production wit 10 goals and two assists in eight games.
Kaitlyn Grice has played every minute in goals this season with 59 saves and a 13.22 goals against average.
Luteville, USA: The Lutes 2026 roster features 16 student-athletes that hail from six different states. That includes 10 players from Washington and two from Oregon. PLU also has players from California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.
Lutes on the Loose
Check out episode one of Lutes on the Lutes where host Alvin Kaman chats with PLU lacrosse student-athlete Issabella Marchio.
NWC Preseason Poll
The Lutes will be looking to buck expectations in year two as a varsity program after being picked ninth in the NWC Preseason Coaches' Poll released on Feb. 20. PLU secured 10 points and sits six points shy of eighth-ranked Pacific University. Whitman College and George Fox University are tied at the top, both securing 59 points.
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 Game:
April 11 vs. Lewis & Clark at 1 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