SPOKANE, Wash. – A former Wildcat stole the show Sunday at the Whitworth Soccer Field. Moi Diaz netted two second-half goals to help Whitworth to sink Linfield 3-1 in a Northwest Conference men's soccer battle.
 
The McMinnville native last played for the Wildcats during the 2014 and 2015 seasons, scoring 14 goals over his two-year Linfield career.
 
1st Half
Similar to last week's home game against Pacific, the Wildcats jumped on the board first thanks to a team-leading sixth goal for freshman speedster Ryan Kister in the fifth minute.
 
Whitworth's Eric Espinoza equalized with 20 minutes left in the first half, collecting a pass from Diaz and netting his first goal of the season.
 
2nd Half
Diaz picked up the eventual game-winner 10 minutes into the second half and added insurance in the 72nd minute with his fifth goal of the year.
 
Linfield goalkeeper Eli Peckham limited the Pirate scoring in the second half after getting his hand on a Jonah Snyder shot with six minutes left on the clock to prevent any further damage to the score line.
 
Leading Wildcats
Kister, Malachi Stalberg and reserve Mateen Jose Villanueva each tallied two shots. Peckham finished the day with six saves against nine shots on goal. Kister's first-half goal makes him the second-leading goal scorer in the NWC with six.
 
Top Pirates
With a team-high five shots, Espinoza led a dynamic Whitworth attack that rattled off 24 shots. Both of Diaz's shots on frame resulted in goals. Netminder Jesus Nunez finished with five saves against six Linfield shots.
 
What It Means
The Wildcats continue to search for their first conference win of the season, dropping to 0-6. They move to 2-8 overall. Whitworth improves to 2-3-1 in conference play and sits in sixth place.
 
Ahead
Linfield ends the first half of conference action with a match in Salem against the Willamette Bearcats on Sunday. Their only contest of the weekend kicks off at 2:30 p.m.