The Whitworth men’s soccer team notched a pair of wins this weekend to keep pace with Pacific Lutheran and Puget Sound for the top spot in the Northwest Conference standings.

On Saturday the Bucs defeated Willamette 4-0.

Senior midfielder Cameron Bushey opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a goal on a free kick.  It was Bushey’s second goal of the year.

Senior defender Taylor Willi pushed the Whitworth lead to 2-0 in the 26th minute off an assist from fellow senior defender Dion Coxe.

The Pirates matched their first half offensive output in the second half with goals from sophomore forward Michael VanDenBerg in the 72nd minute and senior midfielder Andrew Glass in the 85th minute.

Senior defender Nic Shaw commented on how the squad was able to pick up the pair of wins this weekend.

“…just attacking the width of the field, really getting it outside and letting our outside mids and outside backs get the ball forward and then cross the ball into the box,” he said.

Senior goalkeeper Brian Sherpe made three saves en route to posting his sixth shutout of the year.

The Bucs defeated the Linfield Wildcats 1-0 on Sunday.

Bushey had the contest’s lone goal, scoring on a penalty kick in the 29th minute.

Linfield fouled the Pirates 10 times, while Whitworth committed 18 fouls of their own in the match.

“Off free kicks we were just attacking well in the air and getting everything on goal,” Shaw said

Sherpe had two saves for Whitworth.  He now has seven shutouts on the year.  Whitworth has not allowed a goal in any of their victories thus far in the season.

The Pirates next play against at Whitman this coming weekend.