TACOMA, Wash. — The four-time Northwest Conference Champion Pacific Lutheran University men's soccer team is looking to build off last season's success that included winning a league title and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament. 
 
"We're kind of in a different position then we've been in a long time because it's such a veteran team. There isn't a single returner on the roster who hasn't won an NWC title so it's that thin line between being complacent and remaining hungry and competitive," said reigning NWC Coach of the Year John Yorke who enters his 21st season at the helm with 230 career victories. 
 
PLU wrapped up the 2021 season with a 14-6-1 record and an 11-3 mark in NWC play. The high-octane Lutes outscored their opponents 57-15 on the season, netting 14 shutouts. The historic season included hosting the opening two rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. It was a moment the Lutes took full advantage of. PLU knocked out second-ranked Trinity University on penalty kicks in the opening round before falling short 4-1 to the University of Redlands in the second round. 
 
Returning from that historic run is players that scored 49 of the 57 goals and accounted for 135 of the squad's 158 points during the season. Additionally, both keepers who saw action between the posts are back for another crack at defending the NWC title and making waves at the NCAA Championships. 
 
"They know what we want to do in our system. They're mature players. They know what the leagues like. There's not a lot of surprises, so for us as a coaching staff, our expectations are that they're going to perform at an elite level. Our job as a coaching staff is to keep them motivated and fresh, and help them through what might be difficult mental portions of the season."
 
Headlining the returning Lutes is NWC Offensive Player of the Year and Third Team All-Region selection Cris Lozano. Lozano finished the season with seven goals and five assists, including four game-winning goals. Adding additional firepower is First Team All-NWC midfielder Craig Johnson who led the squad in goals (eight), assists (seven), and points (23). 
 
Keeton Heggerness returns after earning Second Team All-NWC with five goals and five assists with Brandt Kelly adding six goals.
 
Midfielders Dane Helle and Robby Guyer are back after both earning Honorable Mention All-NWC status a season ago while the backline is anchored by NWC Defensive Player of the Year Alex White. That stout defensive unit also includes First Team All-NWC selections Ryan Griffith and Cole Dobson in addition to First Team All-NWC and Third Team All-Region goalkeeper Nicholas Gaston. 
 
Gaston logged a majority of the minutes last year, making 53 saves with a 0.91 goals against average. Also back is Lucas Hempen who saw action in nine games, making 10 saves with a 3-0 record. 
 
"We want to put fresh challenges in front of them each week. Whether its learning something new that we've not done before or creating goals that are higher than what we've had before. The whole idea of the year is we want to go further. And that doesn't just mean go further in the NCAA Tournament. Just further in how we do things. Can we be this much better here and can we be better in the small things that make the difference from being good to being elite."
 
This summer the Lutes benefitted from an extended preseason, gaining an extra 10 practices before embarking on a foreign tour of Ireland and the United Kingdom, squeezing in three friendlies against local opponents. 
 
"No matter how fit they come in, the intensity of preseason if different. And so (with the foreign tour) we were able to be more eased into preseason. Legs were fresh, which will pay off as the season progresses. We're ahead of the game a bit in tactics and organization. My only concern is since it's been such a long preseason is keeping the team fresh during the middle portion of the season." 
 
While returning a strong nucleus of players, Yorke is excited about the growth of several returners that will likely play a bigger role during the 2022 season. 
 
"Cole Dobson's already a good player, but he's really grown as a player. He did a lot of work in the offseason and played for a high-level team. Trevor Thompson is going to have a great sophomore year. Dane and Robby both look strong and fit. Jared Dubinsky so far has been a massive difference from last year. He's ready to do some big things for us."
 
In addition to the returners, Yorke has injected some new blood in the program with a few newcomers expected to make an immediate impact.
 
"We've brought in two new goalkeepers that are going to push our returners in Garrett Sevison and Cooper Erickson."
 
Sevison joins the Lutes after a season at Division II Cal State-Monterey Bay while Erickson comes in from D2 Regis University in Colorado where he made nine starts last year. 
 
Another impact transfer is James Del Carmen who joins the Lutes after earning NWAC All-Star honors at Tacoma Community College. 
 
"James is going to immediately make an impact, he's already scored against SPU, he's a very good player."
 
With such a veteran-laden lineup, it will be tough for first years to break through the lineup although Yorke has high hopes for the incoming Lutes. 
 
"We have some good freshman that their impact this year might not be as big as it will in the future, but they will be future impact players for our program. Angel Casillas has been a real standout in preseason. Logan Krum, Caleb Gienger, and Mattias Anderson have all gotten off to good starts."
 
For the Lutes, it's three games over a five-game stretch to open the season. PLU faces Highline Community College on Thursday before taking on Marian University and Colorado College over Labor Day weekend. 
 
"Results are always important so we're always playing to get results. I think for us, can we come out of those three games getting better in the areas we've deemed need improvement. Improving in our fitness, improving in our organization, and improving in our fluidity of what we're doing."