SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth men's soccer opens Northwest Conference play this weekend at Whitworth Soccer Field. The Bucs host Lewis & Clark on Saturday and Linfield on Sunday. Both matches will begin at noon 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 Pirates (2-2) split a pair of matches at home last weekend to close a challenging non-conference schedule.

On Friday, the Bucs fell 5-0 to Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Crusaders scored three goals in the first half and two in the second. UMHB outshot Whitworth 23-6, with all six Pirate shots coming from a different player. Dax Flanders and Henrik Dahlgren split the match in net. Dahlgren finished with a career-high seven saves.

The Whitworth men bounced back on Sunday, beating UC Santa Cruz 2-1. The Bucs only had three shots on goal, but Jaxsen Teeter and Greyson Wheeler converted two of them with first career goals. The Pirate defense was also strong, allowing just nine total shots and a lone goal with under two minutes to play. Oliver Hart made the start at goalkeeper and made two saves in the first half. Flanders played the second half and made one save.

By Committee: The Bucs have shown that anyone on the field is a threat to score, having scored five goals by five different players so far this season. Ralph Borromeo, Jaxsen Teeter, Boden Thomson, Lucas Waarvick and Greyson Wheeler have all put the ball in the back of the net.

The Opponents: Lewis & Clark heads to Spokane with an 0-5 overall record and 0-2 NWC mark. Last weekend, the River Otters fell 3-2 to Pacific (Ore.) and 4-3 to George Fox. L&C ranks last in the conference in shots per game (6.25) and eighth in shots on goal per game (3.25). Despite the poor offensive stats, LC has picked up their attacking efforts with five goals in their last two games. Defensively, the Otts have given up 14 goals, the most in the NWC. Senior midfielder Dylan Weinstein leads the team with three goals scored. Senior Micaiah Garan has held down the goalkeeper position with a 2.44 goals against average in four starts. The Pirates outscored L&C 6-0 in two matches played last season.

Linfield makes the trip with 1-2-1 record through four matches played. The Wildcats visit Whitman on Saturday prior to their matchup with Whitworth on Sunday. Last weekend, Linfield shut out Walla Walla 2-0 in its recent contest last Sunday. The Cats put pressure on opposing back lines, shown by a league-high 10 offside penalties and the second most corner kicks (25). Defensively, Linfield allows 1.75 goals per game. Senior midfielder Ross Vargo leads the team with two goals and sophomore forward Caleb Ishizaka has two assists. Colby Reese has started all four matches in net, saving 61.1% of his shots. Whitworth won both matchups against the Cats last season by a score of 1-0.

The Coach: Kevin Moon became the Pirates' head coach in 2023 and has a 31-18-12 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 hit the road for a midweek contest at Whitman on Wednesday, September 23 before heading to Pacific (Ore. ) on Saturday, September 26.