By: Caden Frank
SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth men's soccer will close out its season this weekend on the road against George Fox and Lewis & Clark. Both matches are at 1:30 as second halves of men's-women's doubleheaders.
To follow the action, check out Whitworth's men's soccer schedule for live links to streams and stats.
The Pirates: Whitworth (11-4-3 overall, 9-2-3 NWC) took care of business last weekend, beating Linfield and Willamette convincingly. The Pirates' 33 points puts them in second in the NWC going into the final weekend, five points behind first place Pacific Lutheran. Technically, they are still eligible for a conference title, but would need the Lutes to lose their final two matches.
Whitworth racked up 10 goals in two matches last weekend, closing out their home schedule in style. Saturday's match against Linfield featured three goals in the first 27 minutes, including Caden Martin's first two goals of the season. The Pirates offense was the story as they put the 'Cats in a 3-0 hole early. Linfield made up a goal before halftime, but Eric Shaporda scored his first of two goals last weekend in the 85th minute to give Whitworth a 4-1 win. Saturday marked Whitworth's sixth consecutive win over Linfield, and their second largest win in the series history.
Sunday was much of the same from the Pirate offense in a 6-2 win over Willamette to claim the season sweep. Cole Friesen, who was back in the lineup after missing Saturday scored his third hat trick of the year and racked up two assists, Beckett Arthur scored twice, and Shaporda scored his 10th goal of the season. The offensive explosion led to the Pirates' 9th conference win, the most since they won the NWC in 2016.
Friesen's historic season: Friesen's brilliant sophomore campaign was cemented in the record books on Sunday in the 87th minute when he scored his 22nd goal of the year. The sophomore broke Karl Meulheims' record of 21 goals, set in 2015, and did so with a hat trick. Friesen leads the NWC in goals (22), game-winners (5), and total points (49). He's third in the nation for goals and sixth for points. However, he may not be done setting records this year. Going into the final weekend, Friesen is five points away from breaking Whitworth's record for points in a season. John Gould currently holds the record with 54, set in 1988.
The Opponents: George Fox (5-10-3 overall, 4-7-3 NWC) is coming off a defensive weekend in which they finished out scoreless draws versus Lewis & Clark and Puget Sound. The Bruins have allowed 49 goals this year (8th in the NWC) but have stiffened as of late, allowing one goal in their last three matches. George Fox is currently 6th in the conference standings with 15 points. Whitworth is 18-2-3 against the Bruins in their program history, however their last trip to Newberg resulted in a 3-0 loss. George Fox is coached by Paul Karver who's in his third season. Their leaders on the pitch are Eugene Peltier who leads the team with five goals and Joshua Chang who leads the team with a pair of assists.
Lewis & Clark (0-17-1 overall, 0-13-1 NWC) snapped a 23-game losing streak last weekend with a scoreless draw at George Fox. Keeper Micaiah Garan recorded six saves for his fourth collegiate shutout, the program's last shutout was a 1-0 win over Concordia in 1990. It's been a challenging season for the Pioneers who've been outscored 75-6 this season and are at the bottom of the NWC standings. They're led by coach Jim Tursi. Nadav Dicovski leads the teams with four goals on 22 shots. Whitworth beat the Pioneers 6-1 in their first meeting this season.
The Coach: Kevin Moon is the Pirates' interim head coach in 2023 and was a Pirate player from 1988-91. He won three NCIC titles under Whitworth Heritage Gallery Hall of Fame coach Einar Thorarinnson. He was an assistant coach for the men under Sean Bushey in 2001 when the Pirates won a conference crown.
Coming up: Whitworth soccer will be back in September for their 2024 opener.
