By: Cody Wright
SPOKANE, Wash. – Following a historic win in Tacoma over the weekend, Whitworth men's soccer turns the page to the second half of Northwest Conference action this week. The Bucs will play at Linfield on Friday at 5:00 pm and at Lewis & Clark on Sunday at noon. Both matches will be played as the first leg of a men's-women's doubleheader.
Check the Whitworth men's soccer schedule for live links to follow the action.
Watch on FloCollege: All of Whitworth's Northwest Conference athletic events will be streamed through FloCollege in 2026-27. Fans can sign up to watch Pirate sports on the FloCollege portal. Registration is $120 for an annual subscription or $25 per month. Those who register with a .edu email address get a significant discount.
The Pirates: The Bucs (3-7-2 overall) finished the first half of conference play with a 1-5-2 record after a split in Tacoma last weekend.
Puget Sound scored two goals in the second half to complete a 2-1 comeback win over Whitworth on Saturday. The Pirates played a strong first half and took advantage of a Logger mistake to net the game's first goal. Sebastian Alvarez scored it for his first career goal. PS kept pushing in the second half and wore down the Pirate defense for a pair of goals to take the lead. Oliver Hart made five saves
On Sunday, the Pirates took down first-place Pacific Lutheran for the first time since 2021 and first time in Tacoma since 2014. The 1-0 shutout victory was also the Bucs' first NWC win of the season. Jaxsen Teeter scored the game-winning goal in the 73rd minute on a header following a cross from Samel Kawakami. PLU sent 18 shots toward net, but Hart highlighted the win by making a career-high 10 saves in the match, including multiple diving plays to preserve the shutout.
The Opponents: Linfield opens the second half of the conference schedule at 3-6-3 overall and 2-4-2 against NWC opponents. The Wildcats are 0-3-1 in their last four matches, including a draw at Pacific and loss to Willamette last weekend. Linfield ranks seventh in the conference in goals per game (1.167) but fare better defensively with the fourth best opponent scoring average (1.50). Freshman Beckham Poirot leads the team with four goals while five other players have scored twice. Senior goalkeeper Colby Reese has started eight matches and posts a 1.41 goals against average and .703 save percentage. The Pirates and Wildcats played to a 1-1 draw on September 20 in Spokane.
Lewis & Clark heads into this weekend with a 1-11 overall record and 1-8 mark in the NWC. The River Otters have lost six straight matches dating back their 2-0 win over Whitworth in Spokane on September 19. L&C will play Pacific and Whitman prior to Sunday's match against the Bucs. Statistically, they have scored nine goals this season, tied for ninth in the conference and have given up 28, the most in the NWC. Senior midfielder Dylan Weinstein leads the team with three goals scored and two assists. Senior Micaiah Garan has started 11 of 12 matches for L&C with a 2.03 goals against average and .716 save percentage.
By Committee: The Bucs have shown that anyone on the field is a threat to score, having scored nine goals by seven different players so far this season. Ralph Borromeo, Jaxsen Teeter (2), Boden Thomson (2), Lucas Waarvick, Ryland Crane, Sebastian Alvarez and Greyson Wheeler have all put the ball in the back of the net.
Hartbreaker: Goalkeeper Oliver Hart is having a breakout sophomore season for the Pirates in net. After setting a new career-high with 10 saves in the shutout of Pacific Lutheran, Hart now ranks first in the NWC in save percentage (.830) and saves per game (4.89), and second in total saves (44) and goals against average (1.15).
Hart was voted the NWC Men's Soccer Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week on October 12.
NWC Standings: After one half of conference play, Pacific Lutheran and Whitman sit tied atop the standings with 6-1-1 records and 19 points. Puget Sound (4-1-3, 15 pts) is in third with Willamette (4-3-2, 14 pts) close behind. Pacific (2-2-5) and George Fox (3-4-2) each have 11 points in a tie for fifth. Linfield (2-4-2, 8 pts) holds seventh with Whitworth (1-5-2, 5 pts) and Lewis & Clark (1-8, 3 pts) looking to make second half surges.
The Coach: Kevin Moon became the Pirates' head coach in 2023 and has a 32-23-14 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: The Pirates return to Spokane to host Whitman on Wednesday, October 21 at 2:30 pm before Pacific comes to town on Sunday, October 25 at noon.
