TACOMA, Wash. --- The No.17-ranked Pacific Lutheran University Women's Soccer team (12-1-4, 11-0-2 NWC) handled business on Saturday afternoon at East Field, taking down the Pacific University Boxers (2-12-3, 2-10-1 NWC), 2-1 behind a 77^th-minute goal by senior Hannah Cecil.
 
On the opening Lutes possession of the game, senior Julia Casubie had her shot attempt miss the target high, but in the 3^rd minute, Olivia Boehm fired a shot that found the upper deck of the Boxers goal to give the Lutes an early 1-0 lead.
 
Lyla Merte and Kiana Gutierrez resonded with shots of their own before the Boxers got their lone attempt of the first half off, but it was blocked by the Lutes defense before it could reach goalkeeper Abby Winkler. Boehm looked for her next goals in the 19^th and 22^nd minutes, but both missed high, with one hitting off of the crossbar.
 
After a back-and-forth half with neither team able to extend or cut into the Lutes lead, PLU ended the first half on top, 1-0.
 
Hannah Cecil got into the mix offensively at the start of the second half, but missed the target out left and her last of the three was stopped by the Boxers goalkeeper off of a deflection. Coming off of a foul by Gutierrez in the defensive zone, Pacific was able to find an open shot to take their first attempt of the half, and executing to knot the game up at 1-1 in the 66^th minute.
 
Later, in the 77^th minute, senior Lily Dose gathered the ball at midfield and led Cecil with a through-ball, allowing the forward to beat her defender and find the back of the net to regain the Lutes lead, 2-1.
 
PLU's defense led by Bella Hanna, Katelyn McDougal, and Lyla Merte, held the Boxers without another attempt for the final 24-minutes of the game, giving the Lutes a 2-1 victory. With a nine-point lead over Puget Sound in the Northwest Conference standings with just three game to play, Women's Soccer has clinched at least a share of the title for the eighth-straight season. But with a win or draw in tomorrow's contest, PLU is guaranteed the solo title as well as the automatic qualifier into the NCAA Division III National Tournament; for the senior class, this would be four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, something that hasn't been done by a senior class since 1992. (2020 NCAA Tournament was cancelled due to COVID-19)
 
"Credit to Pacific, they set up in a real low block and made it difficult to get behind them. They did well and in soccer it can be much harder to create than it is to destroy, and they made it hard on us. Great first goal by Olivia, it was nice to see her score again; her first goal since game one." Said Head Coach Seth Spidahl.
 
"We missed a lot of chances, but Hannah, credit to her, she kept working on it and Dose played a great through ball. Hannah kept her composure and finished one. It was a great team win, our urgency was good, but it probably needed to be a little bit better in periods of the game. But the players recognized that and now we move on and recover as we get ready to celebrate our seniors tomorrow for senior day. Go Lutes!"
 
The Lutes offensively controlled possession, taking 17 shots to the Boxers two, and the Lutes earned 10 corner kicks meanwhile the Boxers were unable to get going offensively. Cecil lit up the stat sheet with six shots, three shots on-goal, and her one score. Olivia Boehm followed with four shots of her own, two on-goal, and her one score, lifting the Lutes over the Boxers on Saturday. Senior Lily Dose had the lone assist in the contest, thanks to her through-ball to the feet of Cecil late in the game.
 
The Lutes look ahead to Senior Day on East Field tomorrow afternoon, as they take on the George Fox Bruins with hopes of clinching their eighth consecutive Northwest Conference title, beginning at 1:45 p.m.
 
To follow Lutes coverage all season long, please follow us on social media; PLU Athletics on Facebook, @GoLutes on X.com and Instagram.