TACOMA, Wash. — The eight-time defending Northwest Conference Champion Pacific Lutheran University women's soccer team's grueling non-conference schedule continued on Sunday with the 23rd-ranked Lutes stumbling 1-0 to 19th-ranked Pomona-Pitzer Colleges at East Field.

Sunday's match was the third game so far the Lutes (0-2-2) have played against NCAA Division III Tournament teams, also battling 10th-ranked Trinity University and California Lutheran University. 

"Overall, I was really proud of our performance today. Pomona's perennially been the top team out of the SCIAC for the last several years and is a very good opponent— we've faced them multiple times in the NCAA Tournament— so we knew it would be a difficult game. I asked the players to give everything they had and have a good performance and I thought overall we did," said Head Coach Seth Spidahl.

"Despite our record, I really like where we're at right now. We still have a lot of work to do on our attacking side and possession side but we'll accept that and we need to get ourselves recovered. We traveled to Texas and Spain and that might have caught up with us a bit this weekend with some sickness in the team. But we have two weeks to rest up and recover and regain our fitness and health back and get ready for conference play."

The visiting Sagehens (3-0), a second round NCAA Tournament team last fall, tallied the game's lone goal in the 18th minute with Hannah Hong scoring off a pass from Bailey Brooke. 

Pomona-Pitzer held a 16-2 edge in shots during the game and took five of the game's seven corner kicks. Lyla Merte and Katelyn McDougal tallied the Lutes' two shots on the afternoon.

Lute goalkeeper Abby Winkler had another busy day in net, making eight saves on the afternoon in 90 minutes of work. Pomona-Pitzer had two keepers split the shutout, getting 45 minutes from Patricia DePalma and another 45 from Hadley Johnson.

The Lutes take next weekend off but will continue their homestand on Saturday, Sept. 20, hosting George Fox University to open NWC play. Kickoff at East Field is set for 12 p.m.