Setting the Scene: The Lutes return home after a weekend away in Oregon, opening the lid on a four-game homestand beginning tonight with a showdown against crosstown nemesis Puget Sound.
Series History: Tonight will be the 77th all-time meeting between the Lutes and Loggers with UPS holding a 40-29-7 edge in the series. Puget Sound has won the last three encounters, all by 1-0 scorelines.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (9-2, 4-2 NWC) won a pair of games last weekend in Oregon and is sitting second in the conference standings, chasing undefeated Willamette.
It was the Robby Guyer show last Friday night in Newberg, Oregon with the senior forward scoring in the 36th and 70th minutes in a 2-0 win over George Fox. Trevor Thompson assisted on both goals and two goals of his own on Sunday in a 4-2 thrashing of Pacific University. PLU held the Boxers off the scoreboard until the waining moments with Pacific scoring in the 83rd and 85th minutes.
Trevor Thompson was tapped the NWC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time running while Sammy Tafolla claimed NWC Defensive Player of the Week. Thompson currently leads the NWC in goals (eight), assists (six), and points (22) while ranking 11th nationally in total assists and 15th in total points.
Cris Lozano is second on the team in both goals (six) and points (14) with Guyer contributing a trio of goals and four assists.
Nicholas Gaston has made 34 saves in goal for the Lutes, starting every game and boasting a 0.98 goals against average.
About the Loggers: Puget Sound (6-2-4, 2-2-2 NWC) took the same road trip as the Lutes last weekend, battling to a 1-1 stalemate at Pacific on Friday before downing George Fox 2-0 on Sunday.
UPS pulled ahead of Pacific in the 13th minute after Graham Hall converted a penalty kick but the hosts bit back with an equalizer in the 60th minute.
On Sunday, the Logger struck in the 29th and 80th minutes to escape from George Fox with three points.
Stuart Methner leads the Loggers with three goals and three assists with Hall adding three goals and a pair of helpers.
Ryan Saunders has played every minute in goal for the Loggers, making 60 saves on the season with a 0.92 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 44-15-7 advantage in games played on campus. That includes a 19-7-3 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.