HILLSBORO, ORE.- The Pacific Lutheran Lutes have been selected as the favorite heading into the 2023 men’s soccer season, as voted on by NWC head coaches. The Lutes earned five first place votes and 61 points to take the top spot. Defending champions, the Willamette Bearcats, followed just behind with four first place votes and 60 points.
Whitman ranked third in the poll with 43 points, followed closely by Whitworth with 40 points. Linfield and Puget Sound tied for fifth with 33 points apiece. Pacific (Ore.) earned 25 points for seventh place. George Fox (21) and Lewis & Clark (8) round out the poll. This season will mark Lewis & Clark’s first NWC schedule since 1991.
Conference action picks up September 16th. The regular season champion will receive the Northwest Conference’s AQ into the NCAA Tournament.
(Points awarded on an 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Coaches could not vote for their own teams; numbers in parentheses indicate first place votes)
|
Team
|
Pts.
|
2022 NWC Finish
|
|
Pacific Lutheran (5)
|
61
|
2nd
|
|
Willamette (4)
|
60
|
1st
|
|
Whitman
|
43
|
3rd
|
|
Whitworth
|
40
|
5th
|
|
Linfield
|
33
|
6th
|
|
Puget Sound
|
33
|
4th
|
|
Pacific (Ore.)
|
25
|
8th
|
|
George Fox
|
21
|
7th
|
|
Lewis & Clark
|
8
|
-
|