Setting the Scene: The Lutes return from a five-match road swing with a four-point cushion atop the Northwest Conference standings, welcoming second place Willamette to East Field.
Series History: The Lutes and Bearcats have battled 71 times since the 1980 season with PLU enjoying a 40-26-5 edge in the series. The two teams split the series last fall with the Bearcats taking the opening game 2-1 on Sept. 18 in Salem before the Lutes exacted revenge with a 2-1 victory on East Field on Oct. 29.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (6-1-4, 5-0-2 NWC) returns from a five game road trip sitting four points clear of the rest of the field in first place in the league standings.
The Lutes have outscored its conference foes by a combined 31-5 scoreline this fall. That included a 5-0 undressing of Lewis & Clark on Saturday and a 6-2 thrashing of Puget Sound on Wednesday afternoon.
Sandwiched between the two lopsided wins was a 1-1 draw at Pacific. It's one of two Sunday league draws for the Lutes who also played Linfield to a scoreless tie back on Sept. 24.
On Wednesday, it was an offensive explosion in the second half, netting four goals in a 16-minute window to sink the Loggers. Craig Johnson and Robby Guyer scored goals in each half supplemented by second half scores from Brandt Kelly and Trevor Thompson.
Craig Johnson leads the Northwest Conference in goals (13), game-winning goals (four), and points (27). Trevor Thompson and Robby Guyer share the league lead in assists (five) with Thompson sitting third in the conference in points (15) and fourth in goals (five).
Nicholas Gaston leads the league in goals against average (1.04) while sitting third in the league in saves with 32.
About the Bearcats: Willamette (4-5-1, 4-1-1 NWC) had a rocky start to the season but has found its grove since starting league play, sitting in second place.
Willamette's rugged non-league slate saw the Bearcats come up short against Southwestern (Texas), Saint Thomas (Texas), Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.), and Emory (Ga.) by a combined 11-1 scoreline.
It's been a 180 since NWC play, however, winning their opening three games of league play over Linfield, Puget Sound, and George Fox by a combined 12-1 tally.
Last weekend the Bearcats suffered their first blemishes of the league slate, falling 3-2 ro Whitworth and salvaging a 2-2 draw with Whitman. Willamette returned to form on Tuesday, downing Lewis & Clark 4-2.
Jett Starr headline's the Bearcat scoring attack with a team-best five goals and 11 points. Lucas Carballo matches Starr's point output with 11, scoring four goals and boasting a team-best three assists. All told, six total Bearcats have scored multiple goals with 14 total players registering a point.
Ibrahm Garza and Pierluca Carnovale have split time in goal for Willamette, combining for 39 saves on the season. Garza boasts a 1.84 goals against average in four starts while Carnovale has a 2.11 GAA in six games of work.
Home Cooking: East Field has been a daunting place for opponents to play since the 2015 season with the Lutes holding a 52-15-7 advantage in games played on campus. That includes a 27-7-3 mark over the past three seasons. Last fall the Lutes were 10-1 on the home turf.
NWC Preseason Coaches' Poll
Bjug Day 2023!
October 17-18 is the 10th annual Bjug Day of Giving. Lutes like you are giving to what they love, including LanceLute who has been training for the big day.
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:
Oct. 21 vs. George Fox at 2:30 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