By: Cody Wright
SPOKANE, Wash. – The Whitworth men's soccer team begins the Northwest Conference slate this weekend at Whitworth Soccer Field against Willamette on Saturday and Pacific (Ore.) on Sunday. Both matches will start at 2:45pm as the second match of a men's-women's doubleheader.
Check the Whitworth men's soccer schedule for live links to follow the action.
The Pirates: The Pirates fell 2-0 to NAIA opponent Carroll College in their first official match of the season last weekend.
After a scoreless first half that yielded just three shots from each team, the Saints broke the tie in the 65th minute. A hard shot could not be settled in front and Pedro Teixeira poked the ball into the back of the net. In the 83rd minute, Teixeira capitalized again to give Carroll a two-goal cushion. Jordan Voigt put two shots on net and Sebastian Alvarez had another, but the Bucs couldn't find the net. Aiden Chase made three saves.
The Opponents: Willamette is 1-3-2 heading into this weekend and 1-0-1 through two conference games. Last week the Bearcats played to a draw at George Fox 1-1 and beat Linfield 2-1. Willamette finished 6-5-5 in NWC play last season, good for seventh place. The Bearcats average 8.2 shots per game and have been outscored by opponents 11-5 this season. Freshman forward Ky Iliev leads the team with two goals scored. Four different players have an assist. Junior Mikkel Jensen had started all six games at goalkeeper and has a save percentage of .621. Whitworth has swept the season series with the Bearcats each of the last two seasons, including a 7-2 win in Salem last season.
Pacific heads to Spokane with a 1-2-2 overall record and 1-0-1 NWC mark. The Boxers defeated Linfield 1-0 and tied with George Fox 1-1 last weekend. Last season, Pacific finished fifth in the NWC with a 7-6-3 conference record, three points behind Whitworth. Three different players scored a goal for the Boxers, and two have one assist. Freshman Kobi Miyamoto has made three starts at goalkeeper and has a save percentage of .905. Opponents have put six shots into the back of the net to Pacific's three. The Boxers defeated the Pirates 2-0 in the team's second matchup last season after a scoreless draw in their first meeting.
Watch on FloCollege: Like the rest of the Northwest Conference, Whitworth's home athletic events will be steamed through FloCollege in 2025-26. Fans can sign up to watch Pirate sports on the FloCollege portal. Registration is $120 for an annual subscription or $20 per month. Those who register with a .edu email address get a significant discount.
The Coach: Kevin Moon became the Pirates' head coach in 2023 and has a 22-12-7 record heading into his third season at the helm. Moon was a Pirate player from 1988 through 1991, winning three NCIC titles under Whitworth Heritage Gallery Hall of Fame coach Einar Thorarinnson. Moon served four stints as an assistant coach at Whitworth under several head coaches. He was an assistant coach for the women's team from 1992 through 1996, when the Pirates won a pair of NCIC titles under Damon Hagerott. He was an assistant coach for the men under Sean Bushey in 2001 when the Pirates won a conference crown. Moon returned as an assistant coach with the women's program from 2010 through 2015 under both Hagerotts – Damon and Jael. He was back with the Pirate men under Morgan Cathey in 2018 and 2019.
He also has significant coaching experience in the Inland Northwest. Kevin has a USSF National A License and was an ODP Washington Staff Coach from 2008-10. He was also a 2014 ODP Idaho Staff Coach.
Coming up: Whitworth will host Whitman on Wednesday, September 24th before visiting Linfield on Sunday September 28th.
