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Sept. 7, 2006 THIS WEEK: After battling through the heat and smoggy conditions in the Los Angeles basin, Pacific Lutheran is happy to be back in the Pacific Northwest for two matches this week. The Lutes take on California Lutheran at 7 p.m. Thursday in Salem, Ore., then travel to Olympia on Saturday for a contest against host Evergreen State. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. TURN DOWN THE HEAT: The Lutes found the heat and smog in Southern California oppressive last weekend. Playing matches in 100-plus degree temperatures on back-to-back days took its toll on PLU, which nonetheless came away with a weekend split. The Lutes opened their 2006 season on Saturday with a 3-0 victory over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Junior midfielder Melissa Buitrago (Kent, Wash. / Kentridge HS) got PLU on the board 17 minutes into the match by scoring from the penalty spot. The score stood until the 62nd minute when sophomore defender Bre Greenman (Corvallis, Ore. / Corvallis HS) put the Lutes ahead, 2-0. They iced up the contest with just less than nine minutes left on a goal by sophomore midfielder Lauren Northcutt (Bothell, Wash. / Bothell HS). Junior goalkeeper Alyssa Blackburn (Sandy, Utah / Judge Memorial Catholic HS) played a big role, coming up with four saves in the match and collecting the “clean sheet” for the winners. Both teams finished with eight shots and both had four shots on goal. The following day, and with temperatures reaching well over 100 degrees, the Lutes found the going tougher against NCAA Division III playoff team University of Redlands. Playing a possession game and working on one more day of rest than the Lutes, the Bulldogs out-shot the visitors, 7-1, in the opening half and took a 1-0 lead at the 19:44 mark. The second period was much more even as the PLU coaching staff made an alignment change. The shots were closer—though Redlands still enjoyed a 9-6 advantage in the half—and PLU suffered from it share of bad luck when two shots hit the crossbar and bounced away. Redlands put the game away with a goal 12 minutes from the end. Blackburn and sophomores Amanda Tschauner (Yakima, Wash. / West Valley HS) and Kamryn Morgan (Poulsbo, Wash. / North Kitsap HS) split the goalkeeping duties. VETERAN TEAM, BUT WHO WILL SCORE THE GOALS: The 2006 Pacific Lutheran women’s soccer team has plenty of experience. Of the returning players, 10 played in at least 18 of the team’s 19 matches last season, and 10 of them started in at least 10 matches. What the Lutes are missing, however, is 69 percent of their 2005 goal scoring. Last year, the Lutes scored 29 goals, 20 of them by players who are no longer playing for PLU. All-conference selection Andrea Gabler, who scored nine goals in 2005, has graduated. Megan Shannon, with 10 goals and six assists, did not return to PLU. So who will score the goals? Sophomore forward Christina McDuffie (Yakima, Wash. / Davis HS) is the leading returning scorer with six goals, while senior forward Jackie Oehmcke (Gig Harbor, Wash. / Gig Harbor HS) added a pair of tallies. HOME OPENER: The Lutes play their first four matches on the road and don’t see action at home until their Northwest Conference opener on Saturday, Sept. 16, when the Pacific Boxers come to town. The following day, PLU takes on visiting Lewis & Clark. Both matches have noon kickoff times. THE COACH: Jerrod Fleury, now in his fifth season as women's soccer head coach at his alma mater, is 37-37-6 at PLU. - PLU - |