Lutes Close Out Home Schedule on Sunday

THIS WEEK: Pacific Lutheran will close out its 2009 women's soccer home schedule on Sunday when it hosts the Pacific Boxers in a Northwest Conference match set for an 11 a.m. kickoff. Pacific hosts last-place Lewis & Clark on Saturday before making the drive to Parkland for Sunday's match.

ABOUT THE BOXERS: Since defeating the Lutes, 3-0, during the first round of conference play, the Boxers (5-9-2 overall, 4-7-1 NWC) have compiled a 1-5-1 record. With 13 points in conference play, Pacific is one point ahead of the seventh-place Lutes (5-12-0 overall, 4-9-0 NWC). Lauren Kanda leads the team with five goals and four assists, but the Boxers have only 16 goals in their 16 matches this season. Brittany Hartmann has a 1.40 goals against average and the team has allowed a total of 24 goals.

THE FIRST TIME: Lauren Kanda led Pacific with two goals and an assist as the Boxers won their third straight home match by knocking off PLU, 3-0, the first time that the teams played on Oct. 3 in Forest Grove, Ore. The goal scoring punctuated an afternoon where the Boxers had advantages in both shots (29-5) and corner kicks (7-0). Lauren Chambard made seven saves for the Lutes in 73 minutes in goal and Ivory Harvey made two stops while playing the final 17 minutes.

FINAL HOME MATCH FOR SENIORS: A trio of seniors will play their final home match for the Lutes on Sunday. Meredith Newby has been a three-year starting right back and is a two-year team captain. Karin Hatch, a forward, is in her third year in the program and has scored three goals this season. She is a two-sport athlete who has competed in the javelin at the NCAA Division III track & field championships. Finally, forward Monica Beard has scored six career goals, including four during her sophomore season.

LUTES FALL TO LOGGERS: Courtney Walker scored a goal in the 70th minute, but it proved to be too little and too late as the host Puget Sound Loggers defeated the Pacific Lutheran Lutes, 2-1, in a conference match played Wednesday afternoon at Baker Stadium. A pair of goals from sophomore Theresa Henle was all the fourth-ranked Loggers needed as they moved into sole possession of first place in the conference. Pacific Lutheran managed just one shot in the first half, Olivia Lee's left-footed drive from a left-hand angle, but UPS keeper Kallie Wolfer dove to make the save. Trailing 2-0, the Lutes made it interesting in the 70th minute when Lee gained control of a long corner kick and passed the ball to Kristina Snaring, who then found a waiting Courtney Walker about 25 yards out from the goal. Walker fired in a shot that went over the outstretched hands of Wolfer and into the net for Walker's second goal of the season. PLU was unable to get off another shot, however, as the Puget Sound defense kept the Lutes at bay. The Loggers outshot the Lutes, 21-2, and also held a 10-2 advantage in corner kicks. Lauren Chambard made six saves for PLU. The victory marked the 23rd straight win for Puget Sound over PLU.

LAST WEEK: Pacific Lutheran put together its first two-match win streak of the season last weekend with a 7-2 win over Linfield, followed by a 2-1 victory over Lewis & Clark. Karli Hurlbut had a pair of goals against Linfield, and also scoring for the home team were Olivia Lee, Megan O'Rourke, Courtney Walker, Karin Hatch and Mimi Granlund. For Granlund, a freshman midfielder, it was her first collegiate goal. The following day, Hatch scored the match-winning goal with less than nine minutes remaining in the Lutes' 2-1 win over Lewis & Clark. PLU got on the board first at 15:05 when Jordan Daniels headed home a pass from Mimi Granlund. After playing almost 60 minutes without a shot, the visiting Pioneers finally found some rhythm on offense, and it paid off with a goal from Katrina Weisbecker at 70:17.

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