Oct. 11, 2008

Box Score

NAMPA, Id. --- Forward Samir Vejo (Sr., Trebinje, Bosnia/Beaverton, OR) scored all four goals, lifting Western Washington University to a 4-2 triumph over Northwest Nazarene University in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's soccer contest Saturday.

The Vikings improved to 6-5-2 overall and 2-1-0 in the GNAC.

NNU fell to 8-3-2 overall and 1-3-1 in conference play, suffering its first loss in seven home games this season. Alex Mangeac had both goals for the Crusaders, who are 0-3-1 in their last four games after an 8-0-1 start.

Mangeac gave NNU a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute, firing home a shot after being set up by Alonso Avila.

Vejo evened the score on a penalty kick, then gave Western the lead in the 26th minute, finishing off an assist from Michael Ricci (Jr., Bellevue/Newport).

Vejo gave Western a 3-1 lead in the 58th minute on a free kick, then Ricci and Matt Pele (Sr., Kennewick/Kamiakin) set Vejo up for his final goal in the 86th minute. Mangeac closed the scoring in the 89th minute with an assist from Ben Mangeac.

"Samir obviously had a fantastic game, he's really playing well the last couple weeks," said Western coach Travis Connell. "This is a tough place to play, we're happy to come here and get a win."

Vejo has 14 goals this season, 10 of them in just two games, as he notched a school-record six in a 10-0 victory over Colorado Christian.

Northwest Nazarene had a 20-13 edge in shots, but Western goalkeeper Cameron Copps-Tilley (Jr., Vancouver/Fort Vancouver) had six saves and Viking defenders cleared two other shots off the goal line.

Copps-Tilley played fantastic," said Connell. "A number of his saves were point-blank."

Western is at Saint Martin's on Friday, Oct. 17 (3 p.m.), for a GNAC counter.