THE RECORDS
Linfield showed resilience and toughness in its two matches last weekend. The Wildcats (2-10-1) fought hard in a 1-3 loss to George Fox before going punch for punch with Willamette in a 2-2 draw. Linfield now looks to its two-match home stand on Saturday and Sunday with battles against NWC leader Pacific Lutheran (8-1-3, 6-0-2 NWC) and Puget Sound (4-3-4, 3-1-4 NWC).
LINFIELD AT A GLANCE
The Wildcats are third in the league in saves this season with 58 thanks to the impressive efforts of goalkeepers
Jacob Toves and
Colby Reese. Linfield has also been effective in drawing fouls near the goal, being tied for second in the NWC with three penalty kicks, converting all three into goals.
E.J. Sablan maintains his lead as Linfield's lead goal scorer with six goals while a slew of Wildcats have netted one goal in 2024.
PACIFIC LUTHERAN AT A GLANCE
The Lutes have yet to lose an NWC match this season and lead the conference in several offensive categories such as goals for, scoring margin, shots and corner kicks. Trevor Thompson captains the impressive offense with 11 goals while Craig Johnson adds seven. Goalkeeper Nicholas Gaston has 41 saves this season in 12 matches played.
PUGET SOUND AT A GLANCE
At the start of the week, Puget Sound finds itself mid-table in the NWC, occupying the fifth place spot. The Loggers attack is directed by Jackson Smith who ranks seventh in the league with five goals. Pema Globus and Rhys Foote have contributed to the offensive efforts with three goals each. Ryan Saunders stands tall between the posts with 40 saves and an impressive .800 save percentage.
SERIES HISTORY
Linfield last triumphed over Pacific Lutheran in 2012, but the Wildcats are looking to close the gap in the all-time series, where they currently trail 19-32-4. At home, the Wildcats have a 9-17-2 record against the Lutes.
Against the Loggers, Linfield trails 12-39-4 all-time with the last victory coming last season. When the two teams played earlier this season, Puget Sound came away with a 3-2 victory.
