Ariana Wilson
Reporter
Women’s and Men’s Soccer stayed on top this past weekend by securing the Northwest Conference (NWC) title for the fifth and fourth years in a row. This is the second longest winning streak of Men’s Soccer championships in PLU’s history and the longest winning streak for PLU Women’s Soccer. Both teams are headed towards their first round of NCAA Division Three (DIII) tournament games, and are looking to continue their off season by moving onto the “Sweet Sixteen.”
A pillar of the Lutes success has been their commitment to defense, which has allowed for them to secure the most wins ever under Head Coach Seth Spidahl’s tenure. Spidahl told The Mast that defense is the foundation of the team and has been crucial in getting them where they are.
Defender and captain Ellie Reardon was a part of the solid defense leading to seven straight shutouts at the beginning of their season.
“Our team culture and chemistry this year is like no other and everyone on the field is just playing for each other,” she said. “We always talk about having a team first attitude and this year we have really shown it.” Their goal has been to win the Northwest Conference title for their fifth year in a row, and after a 14-2 conference record and 18-2 overall record, they have gotten back on the bus and are on their way to Texas to play Pomona-Pitzer Colleges. Head Coach Seth Spidahl says that the team will adjust to whoever they are up against and is prepared to battle this weekend.
John Yorke, Head Coach of the PLU Men’s Soccer team, said that his team is also prepared for whatever may come this weekend.
“It is important to maintain as much of a routine as possible and for the players to be comfortable and as least stressed as possible,” he said. “We are just trying to tighten up a few things and make sure we are mentally ready for the challenge of the weekend.”
His team is all set to host the first round of NCAA DIII Men’s Soccer for the first time, he said. They will start the tournament with a game against Trinity College (Texas), who are ranked second in the nation for DIII.
“Our team is very excited to be able to play in an NCAA tournament game on their home field in front of their friends and family,” Yorke said. “I believe the players will be at their best this weekend given the fact that they get this opportunity that we’ve never had at PLU before.”
The first round of the tournament games determine if the Lutes progress further in the NCAA tournament with a random draw if it seems that both the Women’s and Men’s team are evenly matched.
Update: The Women’s Soccer Team fell to Pomona-Pitzer 0-1 on Saturday, November 13. The Men’s team upset Trinity College, 5-3 on Saturday and are moving onto the next round, where they will face the University of Redlands. The teams will square off at 3 pm on PLU’s home field.
