Women’s Soccer

Q&A with Coach Seth Spidahl

What are some highlights of this year that shows your team succeeding, facing a challenge, and supporting each other?
There were two moments that stood out to me in the Fall 2021 season. Episode 1: We were 10-0, nationally ranked and our next game was against UPS at their field. We ended up losing 1-0 in Overtime, and in college soccer the game is done when that happens. They celebrated and stormed the field…what impressed me was the class and grace we showed as a team during that moment. No tears, no over emotional people…they had great sportsmanship, shook the opponents hand and exited the field. So proud of the character they showed in a very emotional game with lots at stake. Episode 2: We were playing away at Whitman in Walla Walla who had not won a game yet in Fall 2021. We ended up losing 1-0 on the day, and again they celebrate like they just won the World Cup with “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang blaring over the loudspeakers. It was a tough loss, and it meant we had to win out (6 games in a row) to guarantee and clinch the NWC championship. The team ended up taking one game at a time, and going 6-0 to close out the season to wrap up our 5th straight NWC championship. The group displayed some real toughness under pressure…when they knew there was no room for error.

What makes your student-athletes special? What makes you feel most proud of your team?
I feel like we have the best people in our program out there. They are people of high character, discipline, hard work, accountability, selflessness. They know they are apart of something bigger than themselves, and take it seriously. We have an equation in our program: Person > Player. I feel honored and blessed to get a chance to work with these young people each and every day. Great and accomplished people, students, and soccer players.

How did your team engage with the community this year?
Yes we volunteered at the PLU Home Track Meet as judges and other etc. jobs. We also had our entire team volunteer for the PLU Youth clinic.

Looking ahead, what are you most excited about for next year?
We return almost our entire starting line up and many players that received lots of playing time. We only lost 4 seniors. So we have a lot of experience coming back, and I know they are motivated to get back to the NCAA tournament as they are not “happy” about how they finished. That NCAA 1st round loss is what drives us every day to get back there. We are 0-0, another NWC journey ahead of us…if we do the right things we have every chance to be in the NCAA tournament again where we want to do better. We have a tunnel vision, not just a vision, on where we want to go. GO LUTES!

“Athletics at PLU have imbued me with personal strength and a ‘what’s next?’ mentality. The development of this resilience would not have been possible without the experiences I’ve had and lessons from my teammates and coaches.”
 – Vivian Shinall

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