TACOMA, Wash. - The Pacific Lutheran University men's soccer team returns to the field this weekend, beginning the 2018 season with a trio of non-conference games in Wisconsin. The Lutes returned from England with high hopes on the season, and have regrouped to begin the quest to defend their Northwest Conference crown, after being picked third in the NWC preseason coaches' rankings. 
 
The Lutes (11-5-3, 9-3-2 NWC in 2017) will take off to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to take on Wisconsin Lutheran College, and Milwaukee School of Engineering. Wrapping up their trip in Wisconsin, the team will travel to Waukesha to battle against Carroll University, before returning home to play against Brooklyn College next Friday in the home opener. 
 
The Lutes have put a lot of work in the offseason, and have had the opportunity to do so in the homeland of where the game was born, where the team was provided with an experience where they were able to have extra time to bond together as a unit. Coach John Yorke sees the returners' experience in England to be invaluable.
 
"The opportunity to get some of those extra practices in, and there was also a self-driven pressure by the players to be physically ready to play in England. This allowed our guys to have better fitness levels when they arrived at camp as they were prepared to play when they left for England. Along with the physical advantages that this provided us, it also allowed the guys a great bonding experience, with nine days on the road together gives us a really great head start going into training camp." 
 
The Lutes are led by a pair of senior returning First Team All-Conference players in goalkeeper RJ Noll and forward Joe Sammartino. Also returning is All-Conference players sophomore defender Keegan Dolan, and senior midfielder Emmanuel Saah, who both received honorable mention honors. 
 
Traveling will continue to be the theme for the Lutes this season, as once they conclude their trip at Wisconsin, the following weekend will see the Lutes traveling to California, where they will wrap up their non-conference play, with a pair of games. 
 
Aug. 31: PLU vs. Wisconsin Lutheran in Milwaukee, Wis. (7 p.m. Central)
 
Series History: The Lutes and Warriors have met just once with PLU prevailing 3-0 during the 2013 season. 
 
About the Warriors: Wisconsin Lutheran finished up the 2017 season with a 6-11-1 overall record and a 2-8 record in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play. WLC opened the season unbeaten in its opening four games but ran out of steam down the stretch dropping six of its final seven games. 
 
The Warriors will not have the services of their top scorer from a season ago in Isaiah Gronholz, who graduated after scoring eight goals and netting four assists. Juan Serna is the top returner with six goals and three assists during the 2017 campaign. 
 
Sept. 1: PLU vs. MSOE in Milwaukee, Wis. (3:30 p.m. Central)
 
Series History: This is the first ever meeting between the Lutes and the Red Raiders. 
 
About the Red Raiders: MSOE wrapped up 2017 with a 12-7 record and a 6-4 mark in NACC play. The Red Raiders saw its season come to a close in the opening round of the NACC Tournament, stumbling 2-1 to Dominican University. MSOE and PLU shared one common opponent last season in Pacific University. The Red Raiders fell 3-2 to the Boxers in Santa Cruz, California on Sept. 3 while the Lutes tallied a pair of wins over Pacific, prevailing 2-1 and 2-0. 
 
MSOE has a lot of firepower to replace with the top six leaders in points all graduating which accounted for a combined 38 goals and 40 assists.
 
Sept. 3: PLU vs. Carroll in Waukesha, Wis. (7:30 p.m. Central)
 
Series History: This is just the second all-time meeting between the two schools. The squads last met in 2011 with PLU coming away with the 2-0 victory in Waukesha.
 
About the Pioneers: Carroll finished last season with a 3-14-1 record and a 1-7 mark in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play. The Pioneers started the season with a 2-4-1 record but struggled down the stretch, winning just one of its final 11 games and scoring just one goal in the final four contests of 2017.
 
Carroll returns its top goal scorer from a season ago in Shea Connell who tallied four goals and two assists.