SPOKANE, Wash. – The Whitworth women's soccer team will officially open its season on the road in Southern California this weekend with matches at La Verne (Sept. 1) and Whittier (Sept. 3). 

The Whitworth Sports Communications office will post any available live links (video or stats) on the women's soccer schedule page as soon as those become available.

The Pirates:  Coming off a solid 11-6-3 campaign in 2021, Whitworth will try to take another step forward under first year head coach Cameron Bushey.

The Pirates must replace first team All-Northwest Conference honoree Gabriella Coprivnicar, who graduated after leading the team with seven goals and seven assists a year ago.  Kalena Pfaeltzer returns after scoring four goals and adding an assist in 2021, while Ireland Eaton also scored four goals.  Pfaeltzer was a second team All-NWC selection.

Camryn Gardner and Emma Foulk will anchor Whitworth's defense in front of second team All-NWC goalkeeper Kate Nelson.  Gardner was an honorable mention All-NWC selection in 2021 as a defensive midfielder. 

The Buck (Ball) Stops Here:  Senior GK Kate Nelson played all 1860 minutes as the only goalkeeper on the roster in 2021, leading all of NCAA Division III in goalie minutes played.  She led the NWC in saves per game (4.90), was second in save percentage (.838) and third in goals-against average (0.919).  She was second in the NWC and fifth in NCAA Division III in shutouts (10).  Nelson was named second team All-Northwest Conference.

The Opponents: The University of La Verne is hoping to improve on last season's 3-13 finish.  The Leopards went 3-9 in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletics Conference.  Junior midfielder Reagan Appleby is the leading returner with three goals.  Whitworth last played La Verne in 2015 and fell 1-0 in a match played in Santa Cruz, California.

Whittier College is also hoping for better things in 2022.  The Poets went 4-11 overall and 4-8 in the SCIAC last fall.  Senior forward Mackenzie Reed led her team with four goals in 2021.  Whitworth and Whittier have not played each other over the last ten seasons.

The Coach:  Whitworth soccer alum Cameron Bushey is in his first season as head coach of the women's soccer team.  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 host Eastern Oregon on September 9 and Providence (Mont.) on Sept. 11 in the first home matches of the season.