Â
McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Men's soccer (7-8-5, 6-6-4 NWC) capped off their best season in recent history with a dominant 4-0 win over Pacific (3-7-8, 3-5-8 NWC) on Sunday's senior day. The 'Cats leaped the Boxers in the Northwest Conference table, finishing fifth.
The Wildcats controlled the offensive tempo throughout the match, outshooting the Boxers 21-12 and placing 13 attempts on goal. Linfield also held a 10-9 advantage in corner kicks while three Wildcat goalkeepers combined for the shutout.
Linfield went right to work, with Davidson Kathman recording two shots in the opening three minutes. The Wildcats continued applying pressure before Kathman broke through in the 14th minute, scoring his first goal of the season to give Linfield a 1-0 advantage.
Senior Marco Orlando doubled the Wildcats' lead in the 22nd minute, finding the back of the net from well beyond the box for his first goal of his career. Linfield nearly extended its advantage three minutes later when freshman Backham Poirot earned a penalty kick, but his attempt was saved.
The Wildcats continued generating scoring opportunities throughout the opening half. Poirot struck the crossbar in the 31st minute, while Simon Patel, Jose Yanez and Anderson Kelly added attempts as Linfield carried a 2-0 lead into halftime. The Wildcats outshot Pacific 10-4 in the opening 45 minutes and held a 6-4 advantage in corner kicks.
Linfield didn't slow down after the break, with Riley Rama forcing a save in the 48th minute. Freshman Beckham Poirot extended the Wildcats' advantage to 3-0 in the 52nd minute, scoring off an assist from Anderson Kelly for his seventh goal of the season.
The Wildcats continued pressuring Pacific's defense over the next 10 minutes, with Poirot recording three additional shots on goal. Ryan Valdez also forced a save in the 60th minute as Linfield would not let up on the Boxers in the season finale.
Pacific was never able to get into a rhythm on offense, as Colby Reese made consecutive saves in the 63rd and 65th minutes before delivering a crucial stop on a Pacific penalty kick in the 75th minute.
Poirot capped the afternoon with his second goal of the match at the 88:05 mark, extending Linfield's lead to 4-0 and securing the Wildcats' seventh victory of the season.
Poirot led Linfield's offensive effort with eight shots, including six on goal, while Kathman contributed four attempts and three shots on target. Kelly added two shots and an assist, while Orlando finished with one goal on his lone attempt.
The Wildcats received contributions from three goalkeepers in the shutout. Matty Hourigan started and played the opening 29 minutes and 22 seconds before Hayden Sciera took over for the remainder of the first half and the opening portion of the second. Reese played the final 32 minutes and 25 seconds, recording all four of Linfield's saves, including the penalty-kick stop.
Linfield finished with 21 total shots and 13 on goal compared to Pacific's 12 shots and four on target. The Wildcats recorded 11 shots in the second half and scored twice in each period.
Men's soccer's 2026-27 season came to an end on Sunday, finishing on a high note with a six-match unbeaten streak, the best since the 2005 season. It's also the team's best winning percentage and Northwest Conference finish (fifth) since 2018. Their seven wins and six wins in conference play are both new bests for head coach Andrew Duvall, and the team's best since 2010. It's also their best goal differential (+4) since 2015.
The 'Cats honored ten seniors on Sunday: David Contreras, Jamis Gonzalez, Matty Hourigan, Marco Orlando, Riley Rama, Colby Reese, Hayden Sciera, Johann Singh Sanchez, Ryan Valdez, and Ross Vargo, alongside their families and friends.
To follow Linfield Wildcats coverage all season long, visit golinfieldwildcats.com. Please consider following Linfield Athletics on Facebook, and @LinfieldSports on Instagram and X.com.
