WOMEN’S SOCCER: Rivalry Renewed as Lutes Host Loggers

THIS WEEK: Pacific Lutheran hosts Puget Sound, Wednesday, 3:30 p.m.; PLU at Pacific, Saturday, noon.

RIVALRY RENEWED: Pacific Lutheran will be gunning for the upset on Wednesday afternoon when it hosts the Puget Sound Loggers in a Northwest Conference women’s soccer match. The Lutes, under first-year head coach Lynnette Buffington, enter the match with a 2-3-1 overall record and a 1-1 mark in conference action. A recent rash of injuries has hurt the squad, and in fact the Lutes will be without two - and perhaps three - of their regular starters, including leading goal scorer Cheryl Burris. Despite missing three starters last Sunday, however, PLU won a conference road match against Lewis & Clark. On the other side, the defending conference champion Loggers come into the match unbeaten in six matches this season. For the second straight week, head coach Randy Hanson’s Loggers are ranked No. 4 in the NSCAA Division III national poll. In compiling their 6-0 record, which includes a 2-0 record in the conference, the Loggers have outscored their opponents 21-3. Janece Levien has scored eight goals and 2006 NWC Player of the Year Adrienne Folsom has three goals and five assists. Kallie Wolfer has seen the majority of time at goalkeeper and has a 0.50 goals against average.

SHORT-HANDED LUTES BEAT PIONEERS: Despite missing three starters, PLU scored two first half goals and made them stand up in a 2-1 NWC victory over Lewis & Clark on Sunday. Monica Beard scored her first goal of the season at 10:52, and freshman forward Brittney Bronson netted her first collegiate goal at 36:23 to put the Lutes ahead, 2-0. Lewis & Clark got one back at 41:40 on Stephanie Thurin’s goal, but the PLU defense was up to the task for the remainder of the game, limiting the host Pioneers to only seven shots in the contest. Lute goalkeeper Amanda Tschauner made one save to pick up the win. That win followed by one day a tough 1-0 home defeat to George Fox. Jenny McKinsey, who transferred to GFU from Pacific Lutheran, came back to score the winning goal against her old team with four minutes remaining in the contest. PLU junior goalkeeper Amanda Tschauner recorded six saves to highlight the Lutes’ performance.

TSCHAUNER TOUGH IN GOAL: Amanda Tschauner has had a good year in goal for the Lutes, compiling a 1.31 goals against average through the first six matches. A junior from Yakima, Tschauner has played all but about nine minutes between the pipes this season. She split starting time with Alyssa Blackburn during the 2006 campaign.

ONE ON THE ROAD, THEN FIVE AT HOME: Pacific Lutheran returns to conference action at noon on Saturday when it takes on the Pacific Boxers in Forest Grove, Ore. After that, however, the Lutes will play five straight matches on their home field, hosting (in order) Whitworth, Whitman, Willamette, Linfield and Lewis & Clark. The second half of the conference slate will be more difficult, however, as PLU plays six of its final seven matches on the road.

- PLU -