Pirates prepare to hit the field running

Whitworth men’s soccer coach Sean Bushey is getting antsy.

His team hasn’t played a game in more than a week. Now that the time has come for the Pirates (16-1-1) to host their NCAA Division III second-round match against University of Redlands today at 1 p.m. on Whitworth Field, he’s ready to get back on the field.

“It’s anticipation time, just waiting around for games to be played,” said Bushey, whose team last played Nov. 4, a 2-0 win over Whitman in Walla Walla. “As coaches, the only time you’re comfortable is when you are practicing or playing.”

How comfortable Bushey and the Pirates are remains to be seen. Whitworth won its second consecutive Northwest Conference title this season, but Redlands (17-2-2) comes into town fresh off a 1-0 win over UC Santa Cruz Wednesday in first-round action.

The Bulldogs have won the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference five years running. The teams met in the season’s opening game (a 3-1 win for Whitworth), but Bushey isn’t putting too much stock into that match.

“We played them real early,” Bushey said. “Their camp had just begun, they only had a few practices and they weren’t at full strength. … They’re a very good team, they won their conference the last five years, have been in tournament. They’re a good, experienced team.”

Bushey is also concerned with Redlands’ all-around ability. The Bulldogs are exceedingly strong on defense, registering 18 shutouts and allowing just six goals while scoring 61 goals.

“We know when we get any chances, we have to be good with them – they don’t give up many opportunities to score,” said Bushey, in his 10th season with the men’s team (he has been the coach of the women for nine seasons).

Whitworth, ranked No. 1 in the West Region, earned a first-round bye and the right to host today’s second-round matchup. But Bushey, ever wary, knows there are also advantages to playing in the first round.

“You have to look at things positively,” said Bushey, who led the Pirates to NCAA first-round wins in 2004 and 2001, when the team advanced to the regional finals. “Most teams would want the bye, give yourselves a chance to rest, then gear up for weekend. But there’s advantages to playing, too. You get the first game out of way, you have momentum built already. But we’re glad. We could use the rest. It’s good for us.”