Setting the Scene: The five-time NWC Champion PLU women's soccer team opens its NWC title defense today, welcoming Oregon rival Pacific to East Field.
Series History: This is the 74th all-time meeting between the Lutes and the Boxers since the series began in 1981. PLU has won the last eight in the series, enjoying a 47-16-10 edge. Last fall, the Lutes prevailed 1-0 over the Boxers in Forest Grove on Oct. 2 before securing a 2-1 home win on Oct. 30 to sweep the series.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (3-0-1) rolls into league play with four straight shutouts, outscoring its opponents 10-0 in non-conference action.
Reduced to 10 players for the final 40 minutes, the Lutes salvaged a 0-0 draw against Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament Champion Ohio Northern on Sept. 9 before smashing John Carroll 6-0 the following day. It was the Hannah Cecil show in that win, scoring two goals and an assist while Kayden Hulquist added two more goals of her own.
Ella Merte was named the NWC Defensive Player of the Week on Monday for her efforts against ONU and JCU, becoming the second straight Lute to win the award.
Six Lutes have scored goals this fall with Julia Causbie leading the way with three on the season.
Shaylin Cesar has 12 saves on the year in goal and has combined with Abby Winkler for 360 consecutive minute without conceding a goal.
PLU ranks fourth in the West Region heading into league play and is the top ranked conference institution.
About the Boxers: Pacific (3-1, 0-1 NWC) got an early jump to NWC play on Wednesday, coming up short 2-0 against George Fox.
That game was a scoreless affair until the 63rd minute with the Bruins adding an insurance score nine minutes later. GFU outshot the Boxers 11-3, snapping Pacific's three match win streak to open the season.
Prior to the loss, Pacific picked up a 4-1 win over Evergreen State, a 3-1 win over Warner Pacific, and a 4-2 victory on the road at Bushnell.
Mirella Garcia is the Boxers' top offensive threat with four goals on the year with Ivette Garcia-Gomez adding three. Peyton Seals is the assists leader with two on the young season.
Kylie Pascual has played every minute of every game in goal, owning a 1.50 goals against average with 16 saves.
Home Sweet Home: East Field has been a daunting venue for opposing teams since the 2014 season, enjoying a 16-game win streak on the home turf. The Lutes boast a 65-6-6 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.
Next Home Game:
Sept. 18 vs. Linfield 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