By: Cody Wright
SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth men's soccer will play a split schedule this week with a match at Northwest Conference rival Whitman on Wednesday before a home contest against Linfield on Saturday. Wednesday's match will begin at 5:30pm and Saturday's match will begin at 2:45pm as the second leg 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 (5-3-3 overall, 5-2-3 NWC) split a pair of road conference matches last weekend in Oregon.
On Saturday, Whitworth earned a shutout 1-0 win over Pacific (Ore.) in Forest Grove behind Dominic Gusman's sixth goal of the season. Gusman's goal came in the 22nd minute when he took possession of the ball in the midfield and raced down the middle before firing a left-footed shot off the top post and across the goal line. The Boxers had a stronger offensive attack in the second half, but Dax Flanders made three saves to secure his third clean sheet of the season and the Bucs' fifth shutout win.
The Pirates fell 5-4 in Sunday's high scoring battle with Willamette. After an early goal from Gusman, the Bearcats scored five unanswered goals to take a commanding lead at halftime. Whitworth did not give in and fought back with three unanswered goals of their own. Aiden Chase took a long free kick that deflected off a defender into the net in the 76th minute. Four minutes later, Connor Bly headed in his second goal of the season off another free kick from Chase. Ethan Bell scored his first goal as a Pirate in the 88th minute to cut the lead to one. Gusman had a shot on goal in the final minute, but it was saved and Willamette held on. Both teams finished with 14 total shots in a tale of two halves. Aiden Chase made four saves.
Lockdown Defense: Whitworth's defense has been a major key to success this season. Through ten conference games, the Pirates have allowed the third fewest goals (12) and have a third ranked 1.20 goals-against average. Whitworth's five shutouts are also best in the NWC.
Leading the back line is senior center back Johnny Finnegan, who was named NWC men's soccer Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week on October 6th. Dax Flanders has three shutouts, and Aiden Chase has two clean sheets at goalkeeper this season.
The Opponents: Whitman hosts Whitworth with an unbeaten 9-0-5 overall mark and 8-0-2 NWC record. Last weekend, the Blues tied with Willamette 1-1 on Saturday before a 3-2 win over Pacific on Sunday. Whitman has proved to be strong team on both ends of the field, ranking second in goals scored (25) and tied for first in goals allowed (11) against conference opponents. Senior forward Lucas McAllister leads the attack with nine goals, tied atop all conference players, and a team-high five assists. Freshman Remy Marcks has six goals and four assists in just two starts. Junior goalkeeper Niclas Isensee holds a .765 save percentage in conference play, second best in the league. Whitworth has not beaten the Blues in Walla Walla since 2017. In the teams' first matchup this season on September 24th, Whitman defeated the Pirates 3-1.
Linfield sits at 1-10-3 overall and 1-6-3 in conference play heading into this weekend. Last week, the Wildcats tied with Pacific 1-1 in a midweek matchup. The lone conference win for Linfield came on October 4th at Puget Sound 3-2. The Wildcats average 1.50 goals and 2.20 goals allowed per game against conference opponents. Through ten conference games, Linfield has taken just 84 shots, second lowest in the league. Junior Vargo Ross leads the attack with four goals on the season. Freshman forward Caleb Ishizaka leads the team with three assists. Sophomore Jacob Toves has 12 starts at goalkeeper with a .582 save percentage. Whitworth holds a nine-match winning streak over Linfield, including this season's 1-0 win in McMinnville on September 28th.
NWC Standings: Whitman (8-0-2, 26 points) holds the top spot in the NWC, two points ahead of Pacific Lutheran (7-0-3). Whitworth (5-2-3, 18 points) holds third, one point ahead of Puget Sound (5-3-2, 17 points). Willamette (4-2-6) is in fifth while Pacific (2-6-4), George Fox (2-7-3), and Linfield (1-6-3) look to make a jump. Lewis & Clark (0-8-2) is still searching for a win.
Watch on FloCollege: All of Whitworth's Northwest Conference athletic events will be streamed 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 27-14-10 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 Lewis & Clark on Saturday, November 1st before a senior day match against George Fox on Sunday, November 2nd.
