TACOMA, Wash.– For the first time since the 2010 season, the Pacific Lutheran University men's soccer team will open the year with back-to-back home games at East Field. The Lutes were picked to finish second, just one point behind Whitman College, in the Northwest Conference race in the annual preseason coaches poll.
"This is the first time in a long time that we are opening the season at home," said PLU Head Coach
John Yorke. "We're really looking forward to these first two games. The guys are excited to open the season at home, on Friday and under the lights. The preseason has gone really well. I've been happy with the preseason. We've had two strong exhibition games against NCAA Division II opponents. The team has been good about trying to come together and bond. There's been a lot of good team activities outside of the field. I believe we are ahead of where we were last year at this time and I have really high expectations for this group. I know they have high expectations for themselves."
PLU will be gunning for a piece of its third-straight NWC crown. The hat trick hasn't been completed since Whitworth University won three straight titles from 2007-2009. Head Coach
John Yorke has a strong mix of returners and newcomers heading into the 2019 season and what he claims as his "best recruiting class" at PLU.
The Lutes return all-conference performers
Jackson Moore,
Emmanuel Saah and reigning NWC Freshman of the Year
Ryan Griffith. Moore, who was named Freshman of the Year following the 2016 season, started seven games last season and scored a goal against Brooklyn. Saah was a Second Team All-NWC selection last season after teaming with Griffith to help post eight shutouts over the course of the season.
Matt Koczan will help Saah and Griffith anchor the defense. After starting 10 of the 11 matches he played in last season, Koczan was named a Co-captain along with fellow senior Moore. A trio of student-athletes are vying to replace First Team All-NWC goalkeeper
RJ Noll. Senior
Cole Weaver, junior
Tyler Ohata and sophomore
Marcus Martin are all battling for minutes. Freshmen
Jared Butler and
Alex White will also push for playing time on the defensive line, as will sophomore
Ryan Klee, who has made big strides since last season.
PLU is expected to have an improved offensive attack, especially if some of their younger players step up. Sophomore
Archie Caldwell is the Lutes' top returning scorer with four goals and three assists in his freshman campaign.
Rainier Schlekewey also added four tallies in 2018. In two exhibition games, freshman
Robby Guyer has scored three times, while fellow newcomers
Zak Gregg and
Keeton Heggerness have been impressive in the preseason.
Last season's NWC Coach of the Year
John Yorke enters the 2019 campaign just eight wins shy of 200 and has amassed a 192-120-21 record at his alma mater.
Tomorrow night, the Lutes will welcome California Lutheran University at 7 p.m. and host Augsburg University on Sunday at 11 a.m.
Aug. 30: PLU vs. California Lutheran in Tacoma (7 p.m.)
Series History: The Lutes and Kingsmen have met just three times with Cal Lu holding a slim 2-1 advantage in the series. The squads last met during hte 2014 season with Cal Lu netting the 1-0 win in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
About the Kingsmen: Cal Lu (5-12, 5-9 SCIAC) returns five seniors and two juniors from the 2018 squad. The Kingsmen had a strong start to conference play last year before closing the season by dropping five of its last six, including a 2-1 overtime heartbreaker to Redlands in the season finale.
Sept. 1: PLU vs. Augsburg in Tacoma (11 a.m.)
Series History: This is just the third meeting all-time between the Lutes and the Auggies. Augsburg won both previous encounters coming away with wins during the 2010 and 2012 seasons.
About the Auggies: Augsburg (12-4-4, 6-2-2 MIAC) heads to Tacoma fresh off an NCAA Tournament appearance a season ago. The Auggies saw their season come to an end in the opening round, falling 2-1 to Wisconsin-Superior. Augsburg returns plenty of experience, including 12 upperclassmen.
