Late goal sinks Whitman in NWC Men's Soccer Showdown

Whitman WHT (7-2-2, 5-1-1)

Pacific Lutheran PLU (8-1-2, 6-0-1)

Whitman WHT

(7-2-2, 5-1-1)

Final

Oct. 10, 2026

Pacific Lutheran PLU

(8-1-2, 6-0-1)

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Whitman WHT	0	0	0
Pacific Lutheran PLU	0	1	1

Summary
Box Score

Tera Davis

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | 10/10/2026 4:21:00 PM

Late goal sinks Whitman in NWC Men's Soccer Showdown

TACOMA, Wash. — A showdown for first place in the Northwest Conference came down to a goal in the closing minutes Saturday as the Whitman College men's soccer team fell 1-0 at Pacific Lutheran University.

Both teams entered unbeaten in conference play and tied atop the standings, but Owen Harned's goal at 84:02 broke a scoreless tie and gave the Lutes sole possession of the top of the league table. Whitman dropped to 7-2-2 overall and 5-1-1 in the NWC, while Pacific Lutheran improved to 8-1-2 and 6-0-1 in conference play.

The Blues generated chances throughout the match, finishing with 12 shots and six on target, but Pacific Lutheran goalkeeper Gio Aguilar-Gutierrez stopped all six to preserve the shutout. Kevin Serrano led Whitman with six shots, including two on goal, while Luis Mendez Caballero added three shots and put two on target.

Whitman tested Aguilar-Gutierrez five times in the opening half despite Pacific Lutheran holding 66% of the possession. Mendez Caballero forced saves in the 13th and 34th minutes, and Riki Kobayashi and Serrano each put shots on frame late in the half. The teams went into the break scoreless with seven shots apiece.

Niclas Isensee helped keep the Blues level early in the second half, denying Misha Turchaninov at 51:35 and Gavin Murphy just 17 seconds later. Whitman earned four second-half corner kicks but managed only one shot on target after halftime.

The decisive sequence came with less than six minutes remaining. Mike Murega, who reentered the match at 80:40, supplied the assist on Harned's second goal of the season to put Pacific Lutheran ahead.
Serrano accounted for Whitman's final two attempts, with one saved by Aguilar-Gutierrez and another sent wide left at 87:13 as the Blues pressed for an equalizer.

Isensee finished with four saves, and Whitman was credited with two additional team saves. Pacific Lutheran held narrow advantages in shots, 14-12, and corner kicks, 6-5, in a match that remained level for more than 84 minutes before the late breakthrough separated the conference leaders.

The Blues will face another stiff test on Sunday when they visit undefeated Puget Sound who, now with Whitman's loss, sits at second in the conference.

#GoWhitman

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