By: Cody Wright
SPOKANE, Wash. – The Whitworth men's soccer squad will close the first half of the Northwest Conference schedule with a pair of challenging road contests on the west side of the state. The Bucs play at Puget Sound on Saturday and Pacific Lutheran on Sunday. Both opportunities to earn a NWC win will kick off at noon.
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 Pirates moved to 2-6-2 overall and 0-4-2 in conference play after two matches at home last weekend.
Whitworth played to a 1-1 draw with George Fox on Saturday. The Bruins got on the board early with a cross into the box and header. Eight minutes later, Ryland Crane evened the score with a penalty kick. Ralph Borromeo had a well-placed header saved early in the second half, but neither team could break through for the game-winner. Oliver Hart made three saves at goalkeeper.
On Sunday, Willamette took down Whitworth 3-0. Daniel Hairi scored in the 34th minute on a header before two second half goals put the game out of reach. Lucas Waarvick led the Bucs with two shots and Hart again made three saves in the full 90 minute effort.
By Committee: The Bucs have shown that anyone on the field is a threat to score, having scored seven goals by six different players so far this season. Ralph Borromeo, Jaxsen Teeter, Boden Thomson (2), Lucas Waarvick, Ryland Crane and Greyson Wheeler have all put the ball in the back of the net.
The Opponents: Puget Sound heads into this weekend with an unbeaten 3-0-3 NWC record (4-0-4) overall. Last weekend, the Loggers earned a pair of 1-0 wins over Linfield and Lewis & Clark. PS is second in the conference in scoring average (1.75) and are strong defensively as well, ranking third in opponent goals per game (1.00). Senior forward Rhys Foote and junior forward Jackson Smith lead the attack with six and five goals scored, respectively, both top five in the NWC. First year goalkeeper Mason Allison has played strong in net for the Loggers, posting the top goals against average (0.53) and save percentage (.885) in the conference. The previous six matches between the two schools have resulted in a 1-1 draw.
Pacific Lutheran (7-1-2, 5-0-1 NWC) sits tied atop the conference standings with Whitman, who will battle the Lutes for sole possession of first place on Saturday. The Lutes have been the best team on paper this season, leading the conference in goals (18), goals allowed (4), scoring margin (1.4), shots (153) and save percentage (.913). Forwards Ty Brunner and Connor O'Brien are tied for first in the NWC in shots on goal (16), with O'Brien leading the league in goals scored (6). PLU has played three goalkeepers over 220 minutes this season, each with save percentages over .875. Senior Chris Jamrick has made the most starts with five. The Pirates forced a draw with the Lutes last season in Spokane, but have no beaten PLU since 2021.
The Coach: Kevin Moon became the Pirates' head coach in 2023 and has a 31-22-14 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 begin the second half of NWC action on the road at Linfield on October 16th and at Lewis & Clark on Sunday the 18th.
