PARKLAND – Jamie Hoffman got 21st-ranked Pacific Lutheran on the board early and the Lutes posted their highest goal total of the season in a 5-0 Northwest Conference women's soccer victory over Pacific Sunday afternoon.

"It was a good day for us," PLU head coach Seth Spidahl said. "Before the game I challenged the team to have an appetite for scoring more than one goal and the process that goes into that. I asked them to do that, and that's what they did."

Hoffman took a close shot following a cross from Megan Anderson on the right corner of the field in the 13th minute of play to give the Lutes a 1-0 lead. Taylor Lunde made it 2-0 in the 27th minute, taking a pass from Emily Hanna and shooting it in from the center of the field about 10 yards out.

Kelly White's third penalty kick goal of the season stretched PLU's lead further in the 59th minute, and Machaela Graddy got on the board with her NWC-leading seventh goal of the year in the 70th minute. Graddy knocked hers in following a pass from Kelsey Hathaway, sneaking past Pacific goalkeeper Kililani Kunitomo inside the box. Lunde scored again in the 87th minute on another close-range goal following passes from Amber Richards and White.

"Anytime you score five goals in a game is good and positive, and it gives us some confidence," Spidahl said. "We needed to break out of the 1-0 streak."

PLU out-shot Pacific 16-9 in the win and picked up its fifth straight shutout for the second time this season. The Lutes have not allowed a goal in more than 500 minutes stretching back to Sept. 20. With a 6-1-1 conference record (10-1-1 overall) the Lutes move into first place in the NWC standings at the midpoint of the conference season. PLU's 19 points place the Lutes one point ahead of Willamette and three points ahead of 13-time defending champion Puget Sound.

"Seth challenged us to play better than we ever have," Hailey Smoot said. "We usually score in the second half, so I'm really proud of our team for how much we scored in the first half and then continued in the second."

Takara Mitsui made four saves and tied her 2014 season total with her 10th shutout in goal for the Lutes. PLU heads down to Oregon next weekend to open the second half of the conference schedule. The Lutes visit Willamette Saturday at 12 p.m. in a matchup of the top two teams in the NWC standings and a rematch of PLU's lone loss this season.