SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Westminster men's soccer team opened its 2026 season with a 1-1 draw against Northwest Nazarene on Thursday night at Dumke Field. The Griffins fell behind early but battled back in the second half to salvage a point in their season opener.
First Half
Northwest Nazarene struck first in the 28th minute when Rylan McPherson buried a shot off an assist from Caleb Putney, giving the Nighthawks a 1-0 lead. Westminster goalkeeper Oliver Olsen recorded two saves in the opening half to keep the deficit at one. NNU held a 3-1 shot advantage through the first 45 minutes, controlling much of the run of play.
Second Half
Westminster came out with more urgency after the break. The Griffins outshot the Nighthawks 4-2 in the second half and held a 2-1 edge in corner kicks over the final 45 minutes, eventually breaking through in the 74th minute when Gage Wood scored off assists from Kasen Smith to tie the match at 1-1. Neither team found the go-ahead goal in the final 16 minutes, and the match ended in a draw.
Griffin Performances
Final Stats
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Shots: Westminster 5, Northwest Nazarene 5
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Shots on Goal: Westminster 2, Northwest Nazarene 3
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Corner Kicks: Westminster 4, Northwest Nazarene 2
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Fouls: Westminster 8, Northwest Nazarene 13
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Saves: Westminster 2 (Olsen), Northwest Nazarene 1 (Torres Fonte)
Up Next
Westminster returns home to face Western Oregon on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. MT. Western Oregon opened its season with a 3-2 win over Metro State Denver.
