Lutes Look to Disprove Doubters

CONFERENCE PLAY: The Pacific Lutheran women's soccer team starts conference play this Friday and Saturday on the road against a pair of Oregon opponents, Lewis & Clark and Linfield. PLU plays Lewis & Clark on Saturday, Sept. 19 and finishes up against Linfield on Sunday, Sept. 20. Both games are set to begin at 12 p.m.

NWC POLL: Lewis & Clark and Linfield have been predicted to finish ninth (last) and eighth, respectively, in the preseason conference coaches poll. The Lutes finished their 2009 pre-conference schedule going 1-3, with their only win recorded against Northwest University (Wash.). PLU is predicted by conference coaches to finish seventh in the NWC, but hopes to prove otherwise.

UPCOMING OPPONENTS: The Pioneers finished the 2008 season with a 4-12-4 record, earning them last place in the Northwest Conference. The 2009 Lewis & Clark team currently stands at 1-0-2, playing to a pair of 0-0 road ties (Warner Pacific and Northwest Nazarene) and rolling to a 5-0 win (Northwest Christian). Gina Watkins leads the team with two goals and Elise Delgado has three shutouts in as many matches this season. Linfield is off to a positive start after finishing pre-conference play with a 3-1 record, including recent convincing wins over Corban (3-1), Northwest Christian (4-1) and Warner Pacific (4-1). The Wildcats finished eighth in the Northwest Conference last year, going 6-14. Linfield has a fresh start to this season, however, with new head coach Dominic Doty taking the step up from an assistant coaching role last year. MacKenzie Doty, the head coach's younger sister, is off to a hot start this season with six goals, including two each in the three most recent matches. MacKenzie's sister, Rennika, also plays on the team. Anna Sours has scored three goals and Rachel Miles leads the ‘Cats with three assists. Kelsey Hasselblad has a 2.25 goals against average, that number skewed when Linfield allowed six goals in their season opener at Western Oregon.

ABOUT THE LUTES: The young PLU team is still trying to find its offensive rhythm, having scored only two goals in four matches. In addition, the Lutes have been out-shot this season, 90-24. Last season started off much the same way until the Lutes started putting it together about halfway through the season. This year's team seeks to get the offense geared up starting this weekend. Saturday's match will be a particularly interesting challenge in that regard because Lewis & Clark has yet to allow a goal in three matches.

LAST WEEK: Katy Metcalf scored her first goal of the season on a header to the far netting as the visiting Pomona-Pitzer Colleges Sagehens defeated Pacific Lutheran, 1-0, on Sunday afternoon. Following a PLU foul, Erin Platter sent a long pass to the far side of the goal where Metcalf was able to direct her header back across the face of the goal and past Lutes keeper Ivory Harvey. The goal came at the 57:08 mark, and after that the Pomona-Pitzer defense was able to stifle the Lutes offense, limiting the hosts to just two second half shots and seven total for the match. Harvey made seven saves in her first start for PLU.

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