Aug. 31, 2006
Complete Release
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Western embarks on a three-game road trip beginning with a pair of games at the Sonoma State Seawolf Classic in Rohnert Park, Calif. The Vikings take on host Sonoma State University in the tournament opener, Sat., Sept. 2, at 3 p.m., before battling Cal State L.A. on Mon., Sept. 4, at 2 p.m.
WWU wraps up its three-game road swing through California with a Wednesday, Sept. 6, meeting with Chico State in Chico, Calif., at 7 p.m.
Week In Review
The Vikings kicked off the 2005 home schedule on Aug. 27, dropping a 1-0 decision to visiting Cal State Dominguez Hills, the No. 5 ranked team in the nation. Senior goaltender Zach King limited a powerful Toros offense to just one goal on 12 shots, keeping WWU in the game until the final whistle. The two teams combined for 52 fouls and seven yellow cards.
Western fell to 0-3-0, following a 3-0 loss to Cal State Stanislaus on Aug. 30. The Vikings fired shots off the crossbar and the right post, in the opening minutes before surrendering a 12th-minute goal to Warrior Frank Coehlo. Coehlo added his second goal of the game in the 61st minute to clinch the victory for CSU-Stanislaus.
Scouting Sonoma State
The Seawolves enter the weekend 0-2-0 and are still searching of their first goal of the season, following a pair of shutout losses to Simon Fraser (1-0) and Seattle U. (3-0). Sonoma State captured the 2005 CCAA championship with a 12-9-2 (9-4-0) mark and are the favorite to do so again in 2006. SSU opened the season ranked No. 17 in the NCAA Division II national poll. Sophomore Nathan Medina posted 14 goals and 31 points in 2005.
Scouting Cal State L.A.
The Golden Eagles posted their second consecutive nine-win season in 2005. The 18 wins over the past two seasons is their highest total since the 1994-95 campaigns, which saw CSULA rack up a combined 22 victories. Junior Morten Marthinson returns following a prolific 2005 season in which he netted 12 goals, exactly half of the Golden Eagles total output. The Vikings dropped the 2005 season opener, a 1-0 overtime decision, at CSU L.A.
Scouting Chico State
The Wildcats currently sit at 0-2-0 following a pair of road losses at Seattle U. (4-3) and Seattle Pacific (3-0). Senior midfielder Jason Phillips scored twice in the season opening loss at Seattle; Phillips led Chico State in scoring a season ago, with four goals and an assist. Western knocked off the Wildcats in double overtime, 1-0, last season, on Sept. 10.
VIKING NEWS AND NOTES
* Senior goalkeeper Zach King started both games of Western's recent home stand. King has already seen 180 minutes of action in 2006, making a pair of saves and allowing 2.00 goals per game after entering the season with just 130:59 of experience.
* Two of the Vikings' early-season losses have been one goal defeats; a 2-1 loss at Humboldt State and a 1-0 loss vs. No. 5 Cal State Dominguez Hills. Western was 2-6 in one-goal games during the 2005 season.
* Western has surrendered the games first goal in 21-of its last-23 games, dating back to the 2005 season opener.
* Senior captain Gus Zadra has asserted himself offensively this season and leads the team with eight shots through three games. Last season, while playing in 17 contests, making 15 starts, Zadra shot just 17 times total, placing 10 on target.
* WWU features athletes from six states and one foreign country. Michael Lockwood (Canby, OR), Paul Kimbrough (Salt Lake City, UT), Zach Bauling (Albuquerque, NM), Matt Zigulis (Sebastopol, CA) and Brian Emory (Boise, ID) all hail from neighboring states, while mid-fielder Shogo Kurihara is a native of Psukuba, Japan.
* Head coach Travis Connell, who is in his eighth-season at Western, entered the 2006 campaign just two victories shy of career win number 70. With a career mark of 68-59-6, Connell ranks first in all-time coaching wins at Western.
