BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University women's soccer team closed out the preseason with a 1-0 victory over the University of Victoria Friday evening at Harrington Field.
The Vikings took the 1-0 lead in the 20
th minute, when junior defender
Emily Nelson (Puyallup, WA/Bellarmine Prep) redirected a corner kick from senior defender
Taylor Hallquist (Vancouver, WA/Columbia River) for the header goal.
WWU held a 16-10 advantage in shots over the Vikes, while both teams recorded 4 shots on goal.
Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper
Natalie Dierickx (Kirkland, WA/Inglemoor) recorded a pair of saves while holding the Vikes scoreless in the first 45 minutes of the game. Junior
Hillary O'Connor (Los Angeles, CA/The Archer School) and freshman
Claire Henninger (Sequim, WA) each made a save in the second half to preserve the shutout.
WWU's defense kept Victoria in check for the full 90, with only one real scoring opportunity coming in the 88
th minute. Freshman forward Emma Dewit got behind Western's defense and had a one-on-one opportunity before her shot was turned away by Henninger to deny the potential equalizer.
The Vikings officially open the 2018 regular season next week, taking to the road to face Point Loma (Aug. 30) and No. 5-ranked UC San Diego (Sept. 1). Both games can be followed online via links at
WWUVikings.com/Live.
About WWU Soccer:
The Western Washington University women's soccer program has risen to the top of the Division II ranks, with a string of six consecutive appearances in the NCAA Championships, advanced to the NCAA II Final Four in three of the last five seasons and played for the West Region championship in five of the last six seasons. The Vikings won the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2016 with an undefeated 24-0-1 record, beating three-time defending national champion Grand Valley State 3-2 in the title game. Including the national championship run, the Vikings put together a 39-game winning streak (4
th-longest in NCAA II history) and a 40-game unbeaten streak. The program has claimed five of the last six Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular-season titles, going 70-4-4 (.923) in league play during this stretch, and has won the last three GNAC Championships titles (2005, 2016, 2017). Head coach
Travis Connell is in his 16
th season leading the program, and has led the Vikings to eight trips to the NCAA Championships and 14 consecutive winning seasons. Since the start of the 2013 season, WWU has built a 99-7-7 record (.907), the second-best among all NCAA Division II programs during this five-season stretch.
