Setting the Scene: Pacific Lutheran closes out its three-game homestand today with a Labor Day showdown with Colorado College at East Field.
Series History: This is the third all-time meeting between the Lutes and Tigers with the series deadlocked at one win apiece. The squad's first met in 2006 with PLU thrashing CC 6-0 while the Tigers won the most recent clash during the 2016 season, a 2-1 win.
About the Lutes: The Pacific Lutheran men's soccer team continued its early offensive onslaught on the young season, rolling to a 3-1 victory Saturday against visiting Marian University at East Field.
Alex White, Craig Johnson and Cris Lozano all scored to lead the Lutes (2-0 overall) in the nonconference matchup against the Wisconsin school.
The win comes on the heels of a four-goal output on Thursday as the Lutes have overwhelmed both teams they've faced so far this season.
White scored on a header off of a corner kick by Ryan Grifith in the 20th minute. Johnson then doubled the lead, hammering in a rebound shot on a one-timer from the top of the box following a corner kick scrum.
Lozano scored less than a minute into the second half as Keeton Heggerness sprung the forward with a nice through ball and Lozano beat the keeper into the bottom right corner of the net.
Marian clawed a goal back in the 76th minute on a controversial free kick, as Logan Holevas scored while the PLU wall was still getting set.
Nicholas Gaston made three saves in goal to earn his second win of the young season.
PLU controlled the game throughout, rarely giving up possession after the first 20 minutes. The Lutes finished with 12 corner kicks, while allowing none to the Sabres (0-2).
About the Tigers: Colorado College (0-1-1) returns to East Field still searching for its first win of the season. The Tigers opened the 2022 season at East Field on Thursday, ending on the wrong end of a 4-1 scoreline against Willamette University.
Colorado College was back in action on Saturday, battling to a 2-2 draw against University of Puget Sound.
CC's three goals have all come off the boot of a different player. Alexander Ward converted a penalty kick in the 40th minute against Willamette while getting scores from Ronan McCann and Remi Maher against Puget Sound.
Home Cooking: East Field has been a daunting place for opponents to play since the 2015 season with the Lutes holding a 42-14-7 advantage in games played on campus. That includes a 17-6-3 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:
Saturday, Sept. 24 vs. Whitworth at 2:30 p.m.