LINFIELD UNIVERSITY LACROSSE VERSUS PUGET SOUND • APRIL 4, 2026 by Linfield University Athletics

WELCOME TO LINFIELD UNIVERSITY

EVENT

Les Boatsman

COMMUNICATIONS

Chase Fisk, Kelly Bird

STATISTICS

Katie Putnam, McKenzie Heckman

PENALTY MONITOR

Sam Haynes

Emerson Teller

PLAY CLOCK

Julia Alvarez

VIDEO WEBCASTS

Maddy Funk, Joe Stuart, Joel Nelson

GAME PROGRAM

Kelly Bird, Chase Fisk, Felipe Unker

emma gallegos

WILDCAT SPOTLIGHT

a simple mantra

Grayce Miller carries a six-word motto onto the field each match, a reminder of the kind of player she aims to be

by NATASHA FREIMUTH ’28

Linfield University senior Grayce Miller has been playing lacrosse since her freshman year of high school, but her path to the sport was anything but cer-tain.

“I played sports since I was 3,” says the San Diego, California native. “There was soccer and track for a little bit, then softball. I just never was really amazing at any of them. But I knew I liked playing team sports.”

Her goal of finding that team bond led her to field hockey, a decision that changed her course permanently.

“I loved field hockey and most of the girls also played lacrosse,” she says, looking back. “I needed a fall sport, so I just kind of went with the pack. I started playing lacrosse with a local club, and then in high school. I just loved it.”

Even then, her early experience with the sport brought many doubts.

“I hated lacrosse when I first started playing it my freshman year,” Miller says. “I thought, ‘I don’t know if this is the sport for me. It’s hard, it requires a lot of hand-eye coordination.’”

Her mindset shifted after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Going into my junior year, I just fell in love with the sport,” she says. “And immediately I thought, ‘OK, well if I want to get recruited, now is the time I need to kind of get on top of this.’”

That decision eventually brought her to Lin field.

“I looked up any Division II or Division III conferences in any of the bordering states, and I just loved the Northwest Conference,” she says. “Through the recruitment process, I found that I just loved Linfield more than the rest of them.”

Miller was recruited with a small, but sturdy group of players that have remained the foundation of this program for the past several years.

“We started with a team of mostly freshmen my freshman year, and we kind of built with that core.”

Four years later, Miller has grown into a leader, embracing the role of captain the past two seasons. One of her proudest moments came when Linfield reached the Northwest Conference tournament last spring.

“I was just super proud of my team,” she says. “It was just so exciting to see all the adversity we’d overcome, team challenges, injuries, personal things, to make

it to the tournament. It was a very full-circle moment.”

Yet, she won’t deny that the lead up to this moment didn’t come without its challenges.

“Injury, obviously, has been a big one. We are a very small team. We don’t have a lot of subs, and a lot of us have been running 60 minutes since we were freshmen,” she says.

Travel to opponent game sites can also be grueling, but for Miller, it has been an opportunity to build strong and unforgettable relationships with teammates.

“The drive to Spokane, as much as we dread it, is amazing for team bonding,” she says. “Who knew being trapped on a bus for seven hours can get you so close with someone?”

Now in her final year, Miller is also preparing for the next step in her education. She plans to attend graduate school at Western Oregon University in the fall, pursuing a doctorate degree in occupational therapy. She says the foundation she’s received at Linfield has prepared her well.

“My favorite class has either been my junior seminar or my capstone class. I feel like they both just prepared me for the real world in a way that I wasn’t really expecting. It felt like they were not only preparing me for my career, but also life in general.”

Through it all, Miller says she’s learned to stay grounded.

“I’ve learned that it’s really not that serious. If I just go out there every day and play my game, focus on the things I can control and have fun, I will be successful,” she says.

Being a collegiate student-athlete for four years is a grind, as Miller can attest. Off the field, she is adjusting to having more available time for herself.

“I’m kind of relearning how to have free time. Besides lacrosse, I was president of my sorority for two years. Now I have some time on my hands,” she says. Miller has also never lost sight of her bright personality, a trait that stands out amongst her teammates.

“My team calls me ‘Gigs,’ short for giggles, because my laugh is more like a giggle,” she says.

As Miller approaches her final moments on the field, she has made sure to stay true to herself and her many game-day superstitions.

“When I was getting taped the first game of my freshman year, the tape roll randomly ran out. Now I make sure it has to run out every game day,” Miller says with a smile.

“I’ve also worn the same style of ribbon in my hair for every game since my freshman year.”

Along with her routines, Miller carries a six-word motto onto the field each game, a reminder of the kind of player she aims to be.

“I always write ‘SHSMSH’ on my arm. It stands for ‘Stay Hungry, Stay Motivated, Stay Humble,’” she says. “My mentor from my club team texted me that right before my first game my freshman year and it’s sort of become my motto.”

ADVANCE YOUR CAREER

MASTER’S DEGREES IN SPORTS SCIENCE AND ANALYTICS,

BUSINESS AND NURSING

Uncommon place

Uncommon people

Find your uncommon

LINFIELD LACROSSE COMPLEX

THE DREAM OF A MODERN lacrosse and soccer facility at Linfield became reality in 2020.

In Phase 1 of the project, the natural grass field was converted to FieldTurfTM, providing Linfield teams an ideal year-round practice and playing surface while substantially reducing maintenance and game setup costs. The field was draped with branded mesh screening, providing for a more

intimate and enclosed setting. Six enclosed storage spaces to house team equipment and supplies are included.

Phase 2 calls for a new seating for 250 spectators as well as an adjoining paved plaza. It includes construction of a new pressbox on the west side of the field. Dressing rooms are part of a multi-purpose structure planned for the stadium’s northwest corner. The new

building will contain a dressing room for visiting teams and game officials, restrooms and a concession stand.

Under the leadership of Linfield alumnus Rob Gloeckner of Tarkett Sports, the grass field was converted to a FieldTurfTM surface.

The custom-branded storage containers are being furnished by Boxwell co-founder Rod Bolls, a former Wildcats soccer player.

HEAD COACH MONICA POTTER

fresh optimism

Veteran coach Monica Potter plans to breathe new life into the Linfield lacrosse program during her first season at the helm

Monica Potter is in her first year as Linfield women’s lacrosse head coach. She comes to Linfield with over a decade of collegiate coaching experience throughout Colorado and the Midwest.

Potter begins her time at Linfield after spending two and a half years as the director of lacrosse in Portland at Lacrosse Northwest. During her time spent overseeing Lacrosse Northwest, Potter provided leadership and mentorship to the coaching staff, while recruiting, coaching, and fundraising to make the club teams successful.

Prior to Lacrosse Northwest, the St. Louis, Mo. native spent eight seasons coaching women’s lacrosse at Colorado State University-Pueblo, where she was the first women’s lacrosse coach in program history. During her tenure with the Wolfpack, Potter coached one Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year, one Defensive Player of the Year, and two First Team All-RMAC selections.

Potter also was the assistant women’s lacrosse coach at Fort Lewis College for a season and spent two years as the head lacrosse and field hockey coach at Division III Fontbonne University.

She guided Fontbonne to winning seasons in both years at the helm. In addition to coaching, she also served as the assistant athletic director, NCAA compliance officer, and the senior women advisor for the Griffins.

Her coaching career kickstarted at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo., in 2004 as the head women’s lacrosse and field hockey coach before building the first lacrosse program at Adrian College in Michigan over two seasons. During her time at Lindenwood, she took a lacrosse program with a losing record to an undefeated season, claiming the Central Plains Division Championship.

A graduate of Webster University in 2001, Potter earned a master’s degree in Sports Management from Lindenwood in 2006. After a pair of years in Portland, the Wildcats head coach looks to bring her Pacific Northwest recruiting experience to McMinnville, where she looks to return a team to the NWC Tournament for the second consecutive season. The Wildcats went 8-8 overall a year ago, including 4-4 in the Northwest Conference.

monica potter

alexa brandt | 2

5-0 | Freshman | M Eugene, Oregon

evelyn cross | 5 5-5 | Sophomore | A San Diego, California

Gabby crist | 7 5-5 | Senior | M Lake Oswego, Oregon

Madison de la trinidad | 3

5-8 | Junior | M/D West Los Angeles, California

Apple riso | 12 5-4 | Freshman | M San Diego, California

heidi schaefer | 75

5-8 | Sophomore | A Sherwood, Oregon

Emma gallegos | 21 5-3 | Junior | D West Valleyt, Utah

Grayce Miller | 20

5-1 | Senior | D San Diego, California

maizri chandler | 28 5-8 | Senior | M/A Scappoose, Oregon

monica potter Head Coach First Year

katie putnam Sports Communications Graduate Assistant

Savannah irwin | 6 5-7 | Senior | M Bend, Oregon

Gracie pratt | 27 5-3 | Senior | D Carbondale, Colorado

duane Duey Certified Athletic Trainer

tenley hodge | 99 5-8 | Senior | GK Beaverton, Oregon

LINFIELD WILDCATS

PUGET SOUND LOGGERS

LINFIELD VERSUS PUGET SOUND

match breakdown

THE RECORDS

Linfield entered the weekend at 3-6 overall and 1-0 in Northwest Conference play, having defeated the Pacific Boxers at home prior to Spring Break. Puget Sound entered the weekend with a 4-4 record. The Loggers open NWC play today.

LINFIELD AT A GLANCE

Aiming to rebound from the spring break trip to Southern California, Linfield took on three teams from the SCIAC, falling in each matchup. Two weeks ago, the ‘Cats first NWC matchup saw a dominant offensive performance, defeating Pacific 12-4 at home behind four goals each from Savannah Irwin and Heidi Schaefer. Senior Gabby Crist ranks among the conference’s best offensively, entering the week with 2.44 goals per game and 1.22 assists per game.

PUGET SOUND AT A GLANCE

Puget Sound won three of its first four matches of the season, but the Loggers have since dropped three of their previous four matchups coming into the weekend. Cat Schilli is the Loggers’ leading scorer with 27 goals this spring, averaging 3.38 per match. Goalie Ebeth Kline is No. 2 in the conference in save percentage, 47.2%, while recording a conferenceleading 84 saves thus far.

SERIES HISTORY

The Loggers hold a 28-20 advantage in the all-time series versus the Wildcats, although Linfield was won the previous five matchups handedly. Linfield has won 13 of the previous 15 meetings over Puget Sound, dropping just one at home since 2017. The two teams met in a non-conference matchup in early March, with Linfield winning 15-8.

7 gabby crist

THE NORTHWEST CONFERENCE

LACROSSE STANDINGS

LINFIELD SPORTS NETWORK

The Linfield Sports Network will again bring fans live action of all home Linfield lacrosse matches during the 2026 season. Fans can enjoy live video webcasts with play-by-play commentary on their computer, tablet, mobile device or smart TV.

Live coverage begins 10 minutes prior to the start of each contest. Broadcasts include a complete postgame wrap-up with analysis and statistical breakdown.

McMinnville native Joe Stuart, a 2020 Linfield graduate, is the Athletics Broadcast Operations Coordinator, managing all aspects of Linfield’s webcasting outreach and handling lead play-by-play duties on Linfield football, baseball and softball webcasts in addition to basketball. Stuart assists with other external sports communications and social media needs.

Linfield junior Maddie Funk will handle play-by-play duties on Linfield lacrosse broadcasts this spring. Funk is a graduate of Livermore High School in Livermore, California, and a member of the Linfield women’s soccer team. She is majoring in journalism and media studies and plans to embark on career in broadcasting.

All LSN broadcasts, both live and on demand, can be accessed at golinfieldwildcats.com/watch or from within the Linfield Athletics app on mobile, tablet or smart TVs.

KEEPING TABS ON THE WILDCATS

All Linfield Sports Network webcasts are now carried on FloSports, a conference-wide pay-to-watch platform

Linfield University has joined together with its eight fellow Northwest Conference institutions in support of a new partnership with streaming provider FloSports to offer live and on-demand video coverage of nearly every athletic event Linfield participates in

An annual subscription costs $107.88 ($8.99 per month). A monthly subscription runs $19.99.

Linfield students, faculty and staff with linfield.edu email addresses will enjoy discounted rates of $71.88 per year ($5.99/ month) or $9.99 if purchased monthly.

Schools are expected to receive annual investments from FloSports to build and expand broadcast capabilities and make other investments within the athletic department. Linfield personnel will continue to staff and operate all home broadcasts.

“Entering into this agreement with FloSports was a conferencewide decision,” said Linfield Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Brosius. “While it does represent a change in how our streams are viewed, we do believe this partnership signifies a positive step forward. We anticipate increased quality of our streams conferencewide, as well as programming allowing viewers to watch college sports not just from within our conference, but from all across the country. This is the direction other Division III conferences are moving toward. Many of our out-of-conference competitions already require a FloSports subscription.”

As Brosius noted, FloSports subscribers will have the capability to access more than 40,000 events nationwide spanning 25 different sports.

WATCHING flosports MADE EASY

FloSports expects to deliver live and on-demand coverage of Linfield events across 15 different sports: Football, volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s wrestling, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s tennis, baseball, softball, and women’s lacrosse. Northwest Conference Championship events in all sports except golf and cross country will also be streamed as part of the annual agreement.

Beyond live competition, FloSports plans to invest in original content and storytelling initiatives online and across social media aimed at elevating the profile of NWC student-athletes and institutions. The NWC joins several of its regular non-conference opponents in partnering with FloSports, the industry leader and primary media rights partner for Division III conferences.

Each year, FloSports will provide a global platform to live stream over 800 regular-season and postseason events.

FloSports is available via web, mobile apps (iOS and Android), and streaming platforms including Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV. The FloSports app is expected to be pre-installed on most topselling Smart TVs in the U.S. this year.

LINFIELD DANCE

A Heritage of Confident Service

OUTLAST OUTLIVE

We’re tough where it counts. From dominating wild trails to maneuvering rushing streams, roaming vast canyons and tackling remote peaks, our trucks prove their rugged capability over and over.

The Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame, sponsored by Pacific Office Automation, was established in 1998 as an avenue to honor former athletes, coaches, staff and contributors and to preserve the memory of their past achievements.

A new class of inductees is honored at the Hall of Fame Banquet each fall. Inductees are chosen from a list of submitted nominations and voted upon by the Hall of Fame Executive and Selection Committees. The 20-member panel is made up of current and former staff members, past inductees, a member of the media, and a former athlete representing each of the preceding six decades.

Nominations must be submitted in writing using an official nomination form. Hall of Fame nominations are considered in any one of six categories: Athlete, Coach, Team, Athletics Staff, and Meritorious Service.

RECENT HONORS

Through 24 games, Sain leads the NWC with a .524 average and a .596 on-base percentage. The junior also tops NWC statistics with 42 hits, 34 runs and 15 doubles.

In NCAA Division III statistics, she ranks third in doubles, ninth in hits, 17th in RBI (33) and 19th in batting average.

A 2025 first team all-NWC honoree, Sain is the daughter of Erin Moser and Dustin Sain. She is currently majoring in exercise science.

Linfield has compiled a 22-2 record and is ranked No. 3 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 25 poll.

Linfield’s Meara Sain continued to crush the ball during a recent four-game series sweep at NWC-rival Whitworth, earning her first Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of Week honor.

The Eugene, Oregon, native hit .615 (8-for-13) at the plate, with eight doubles and a pair of home runs while driving in a team-high nine runs. Linfield’s bats cruised past Whitworth, ending three of the four games early via the eight-run rule. Sain slugged 1.462 in the four games, walking once and striking out just once in her 13 at bats.