Setting the Scene: The Lutes close out their homestand today, facing in-state nemesis Whitman at East Field.
Series History: The Lutes have dominated the all-time series, enjoying a 57-13-3 lead in the series that dates back to 1980. PLU has won the last six encounters, outscoring the Blues 13-2 in those games.
About the Lutes: The 25th-ranked Lutes (6-1, 1-1 NWC) saw its six game win streak snapped on the tail end of the weekend, opening league play with a 1-1 record.
Pacific Lutheran steamrolled Linfield 6-0 last Saturday, including a hat-trick from Cris Lozano with the defense allowing just two shots on goal for the program's first clean sheet of 2022. PLU wasn't so lucky on Sunday, conceding a late goal to host Willamette in a 2-1 setback in Salem. It was the Lutes' first game of the season they didn't finish with multiple goals.
Trevor Thompson leads the team in goals (five), assists (three) and points (13) while Lozano is tied for the lead in goals with five. Craig Johnson has two game-winning goals while 13 total Lutes have registered a point during the month of September.
Nicholas Gaston has been the Lutes' rock between the posts, making 27 saves on the season with a 1.06 goals against average.
About the Blues: Whitman (4-3-1, 1-0-1 NWC) heads across the Cascades unbeaten in NWC play, collecting a pair of shutouts last weekend in Walla Walla.
The Blues opened league action with a scoreless draw against George Fox before getting a goal from Edwin Romero in the 54th minute in a 1-0 win over Pacific.
Whitman has nine players score a goal this fall with Jacob Burrill leading the way with three goals on the year. Romero and Jossue Tobar rank second on the team in points, both with two goals and one assist on the season.
Three Blues have started in goal this season with Colby Ramsey logging the most minutes, playing 288 minutes of the season with a 1.25 goals against average.
Home Cooking: East Field has been a daunting place for opponents to play since the 2015 season with the Lutes holding a 43-14-7 advantage in games played on campus. That includes a 18-6-3 mark over the past three seasons.
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.
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.
To download the app to your smartphone or tablet, visit the Apple App Store (DOWNLOAD LINK) or Google Play (DOWNLOAD LINK) and search for "PLU Athletics."
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
Next Home Game:
Sunday, Oct. 9 vs. Lewis & Clark at 2:30 p.m.