Setting the Scene: The five-time NWC Champion PLU women's soccer team closes out its three-game homestand to open conference play, welcoming the crosstown University of Puget Sound to East Field.
Series History: This is the 77th meeting in the all-time series that dates back to 1982. The Loggers hold a 50-21-5 edge in the series but the series has been dead even the last 17 meetings dating back to 2014 at 7-7-3.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (5-0-1, 2-0 NWC) allowed just four shots on goal all weekend, opening Northwest Conference play with a pair of wins. The Lutes received a pair of goals from Olivia Boehm in Saturday's 3-1 win over Pacific before getting goals from Alyssa Leong, Hannah Cecil, and Jami Hughes in a 3-0 shutout of Linfield.
Cecil leads the Lutes in goals (three), assists (two), and points (eight) through the opening six games of 2022. Boehm has three goals in the last three games while Julia Causbie has a trio of scores.
In goal, Shaylin Cesar has allowed just one goal in 512 minutes of work, boasting a 0.18 goals against average.
About the Loggers: Puget Sound (4-2, 1-1 NWC) experienced mixed results over the weekend to open conference play, smashing Linfield 3-0 on Saturday before ending on the wrong side of a 3-0 scoreline on Sunday against George Fox.
Ava Cholakian had two of the Loggers' three goals against Linfield and leads the team with six goals on the year. Layla Santos is the top distributer for UPS with four assists this season.
Home Sweet Home: East Field has been a daunting venue for opposing teams since the 2014 season, enjoying an 18-game win streak on the home turf. The Lutes boast a 67-6-6 record on the artificial turf over the past eight seasons. That includes a 10-0 record last fall, outscoring visitors by a 26-2 margin.
Trailblazing NIL the D3 Way: PLU Athletics continues to lead the way nationally in Name, Image, and Likeness, unveiling the Luteville Marketplace on Wednesday through the department's partnership with Opendorse. Learn more about the deal here: LINK. 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.
Fit to be Tied: Things will look a little different this fall with the NCAA doing away with overtime in the regular season. All competitions ending tied after 90 minutes will be declared a tie. Previously two sudden death periods of 10 minutes in length were played before the contest was declared a tie. These changes will align the NCAA more closely with international rules.
Hidden Lute Talents: The PLU Athletic Department welcomed back its student-athletes on September 12 in an event that included a rock, paper, scissors competition, a student-athlete talent show, and a buddy team reveal.
Next Home Game:
Oct. 8 vs. George Fox at 12 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