Official NCAA Tournament Bracket

TACOMA, Wash. - The Northwest Conference Champion Pacific Lutheran University men's soccer team will look to carry momentum into the NCAA Division III Tournament this weekend, facing North Park University on Saturday in Chicago.
 
Last weekend the Lutes (14-4-2, 11-1-2 NWC) sealed their fate as Northwest Conference Champions for the third straight season as they defeated University of Puget Sound (9-7-3, 6-7-1 NWC) in the Battle of the South Sound 2-0. It marked an overall great performance by the team, with forward Keeton Heggerness putting the Lutes on top in the ninth minute and forward Jackson Moore adding a second in the 24th minute. 
 
"Every year, the UPS game is the one I look forward to the most," said senior Ola Kvindesland. "As seniors, we cherished the opportunity to head up to the north side of town one last time to prove to everyone that Tacoma is and always will be black and gold. We had a lot of fans come out to support us which, along with the cohesiveness in our group, pushed us to play faster and fight harder. I appreciate our rivalry against UPS because they always make it tough for us, but from the first few moments of the game it was evident that we were the only team in it to win it."
 
"A key aspect in our win was our attitude in training in the weeks leading up to the game. We had a loose and fun vibe about us while also understanding the seriousness of the situation we were in. We knew this was a must-win game, so it felt great to beat our rivals on their field on their senior day."
 
For Kvindesland and the rest of the team, it is a great feeling to win the NWC title outright without having to share the honors.
 
"We are ecstatic about our performances in the NWC this season and to be sole champions is a true testament to our character this season. The past two years we've had to share a piece of the pie with Willamette and Whitman, respectively, but this year the cake is ours and ours only, which makes it taste that much sweeter. Soccer is a demanding sport to play and John Yorke is a demanding coach to play for but we all love him. The winning mentality he has instilled in the PLU Men's Soccer program is the reason why PLU has such a successful soccer program and the reason we've been able to play as confidently as we have this season and we're now reaping the rewards of all our hard work."
 
Having played so many games in a Lute uniform, Kvindesland has so many memories in the program that he will not forget anytime soon.
 
"Being an international student, my favorite memories from my collegiate soccer career has to be all the pre-season trips we've been on. It has been so exciting to visit and play in so many different parts of the United States, from Wisconsin to Missouri to California and more. On behalf of the whole soccer program, we'd like to thank the athletic department and a number of alumni and donors for allowing us to travel across the nation to compete at the highest level of Division III soccer. My favorite memory from this season, however, has to be our emphatic 5-0 win over Whitworth at their field. Along with us, Whitworth has had a lot of success in the Northwest Conference over the last 10-15 years, so we were thrilled to beat them by that big of a margin and personally I was delighted to score one of our five goals in that game."
 
Kvindesland is also working hard in the classroom, getting everything in order to graduate this year.
 
"I'm a business administration major with a concentration in marketing. After I get my bachelor's degree this spring, I intend to return to PLU next fall to begin my master's program."
 
"I was initially attracted to business after taking a few economics classes in high school. Then, last year I took a marketing class with Professor John Frederiksen, which is when I realized that marketing was my calling. Prof. Frederiksen was an excellent mentor, and it was through his teaching and his philosophies on sustainable and ethical consumerism that really sparked my interest in marketing."
 
Outside of school and sports, Kvindesland has many hobbies that he enjoys pursuing.
 
"Outside of school and soccer I enjoy hanging out with my friends, cooking and playing darts. And binge-watching The Office."
 
In order to be successful this upcoming weekend, it starts with full concentration and preparation in training this week.
 
"We'll put the work down in practice this week, like we have done since the season started. We know what our goals are, and we have a clear focus for what we want to achieve this weekend, but it'll be equally important to sustain that fun but confident wave we've been riding for the past couple of weeks. North Park are a good team but so are we. We're more than up for the challenge that awaits us, and we can't wait to fly out to Chicago and represent PLU in the best way we can."
 
The Lutes will play their first game in the NCAA tournament against North Park University in ice-cold Chicago on Saturday Nov. 16th at 11:00 a.m. (PST).
 
"Competing in the NCAA tournament is a special opportunity that the majority of college athletes will not have the chance to experience, so it feels fantastic to be back for the second successive season. As seniors, we want to inspire the younger guys and prove to them that this is what PLU soccer is all about so that they can grow off this experience and keep progressing both as athletes and as individuals. PLU soccer players have an insatiable demand for success and we're hungry for more action as we prepare to fly out to the first leg of the tournament in Chicago."

 
Nov. 16: PLU vs. North Park in Chicago, Illinois (11 a.m. Pacific)
 
Series History: This is the first all-time meeting between the Lutes and Vikings.
 
About the Vikings: North Park (15-4-1, 6-1-1 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) hosts the four-team regional after winning the CCIW Tournament title. The Vikings have been a tough team to play at the Holmgren Athletic Complex, boasting an 11-1 record in home games. NPU's lone blemish on home soil was a 3-1 non-conference setback to Rowan University (N.J.) back on September 15.
 
Peder Olsen has been the Vikings' go to scorer, leading the team in both goals (19) and points (44). William Sandkvist adds eight goals while Gianfranco DeCarne has a team-high nine assists along with five goals. Mathias Stulen has been the main Viking between the posts, making 35 saves on the season with a 1.00 goals against average.
 
Lutes in the NCAA Tournament: This is the third NCAA tournament appearance for the program and the fifth overall appearance in a national tournament. The Lutes qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2011, bowing out to the University of Redlands 4-1 in the opening round while falling 1-0 to the University of Saint Thomas last season. PLU has additionally made appearances at the NAIA National Tournament in both 1992 and 1994. 
 
Rest of the Field: The winner of the PLU-NPU game will face the winner of the Colorado College-Gustavus Adolphus College game on Sunday at 1 p.m. (Pacific). CC (17-3) qualified as an at-large after falling 3-1 to Texas Lutheran University in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Championships. Gustavus (17-3) punched its ticket to the NCAAs after winning the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles, securing a 3-1 win over the University of Saint Thomas in the MIAC Championship.