SPOKANE, Wash. – The Whitworth women's soccer team returns home to host the first of two Battle of Whits on Wednesday afternoon (4:30 pm). The Pirates host Pacific (Ore.) on Saturday at noon in a split week instead of the normal Saturday-Sunday lineup.
Links to live video and live statistics are available on the Whitworth women's soccer schedule.
The Pirates: Whitworth (0-3-3) hopes to nail down its first win of 2023 by claiming its first Northwest Conference win this week.
Whitworth fell to defending NWC champion Pacific Lutheran 2-0 on Saturday in Parkland. The Lutes had a 13-9 edge in shots, but shots on-goal were even at 5-5. PLU did not score until the 66th minute, then added an insurance goal with just over three minutes left in the match. Kate Nelson was credited with two saves in goal for the Pirates.
Whitworth could not recover from giving up two early set-piece goals in a 3-1 loss at Puget Sound on Sunday. Kylee Russell's second goal of the season pulled the Pirates to within 2-1 before halftime. Laura Pierson had the assist. But the Loggers added an insurance goal early in the second half. Shots were 13-10 in favor of UPS, including an 8-6 edge in shots on-goal. Nelson had five saves for the Bucs.
The Buck (Ball) Stops Here: Senior GK Kate Nelson is a two-time second team All-Northwest Conference honoree. She has posted 17 shutouts during her Pirate career. Nelson has stopped 75% of the shots she has faced in 2023.
The Opponents: Whitman is 2-2-2 this season under third year head coach Michelle Voiland. The Blues lost 2-0 at Puget Sound on Saturday before pulling off a major upset, 2-1, at Pacific Lutheran on Sunday. Senior midfielder Lindsey Honhart and sophomore defender Gracia Larson have two goals apiece. Last season Whitworth dominated Whitman 6-0 in Spokane, but the teams played to a 1-1 draw in Walla Walla. That tie ended a five-match winning streak for the Pirates.
Pacific University is 2-3 this season after splitting last weekend. The Boxers won 2-0 at George Fox but lost 1-0 at home to Lewis & Clark. Chelsea Davis is in her second season as head coach. Senior forward Katelyn Volchok has two goals this year, while senior midfielder Ivette Garcia-Gomez has a goal and an assist. Whitworth and Pacific split last season, each winning 1-0 on its own home field.
The Coach: Whitworth soccer alum Cameron Bushey is in his second season as head coach of the women's soccer team. The Pirates finished 6-8-5 overall and 6-6-4 (4th place) in the NWC last season.
He came from Stanislaus State, where he was the top assistant coach. Bushey has club coaching stints in Spokane and Colorado and he was an assistant at Gonzaga University for two seasons (2018-19). He graduated from Whitworth in 2012 as a four-time All-NWC honoree who helped lead the Pirates to three NWC titles and NCAA Division III tournament appearances in 2008 and 2009.
Coming up: Whitworth will travel to Willamette and Linfield next weekend (Sept. 30 / Oct. 1).
