BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Junior defender
Jeremiah Lee netted the game-winning goal on a header from a corner kick in the 85th minute as the Western Washington University men's soccer team earned a 1-0 victory over visiting Hawai'i Pacific University on Saturday night at Harrington Field in non-conference action.
The No. 24 nationally-ranked Vikings improved to 4-2-0 in closing out the non-conference schedule, snapping a two-game losing skid in the process. HPU dropped to 1-2-0 with the loss.
WWU put forth a total team effort and defended well to earn the win, playing a man down with 10 players on the field for the vast majority of the match after a red card was issued to WWU junior forward
Christian Rotter (Auburn, WA/Auburn Mountainview) in the 12th minute. The Vikings found the game-winner at the 84:39 mark when Lee (Marysville, WA/Grace Academy) headed home a corner kick from sophomore midfielder
Georg Cholewa (Leipzig, Germany/Sportgymnasium Chemnitz).
"Playing a man down for that long (78 minutes) and to grind out a win like that, it was one of the best team performances I have been a part of as a player or a coach," head coach
Greg Brisbon said. "It took a total team effort where everybody is contributing, even when they are tired, to gain that result. We really defended well, stuck with the game plan and attacked when we had the chance."
Cholewa, who recorded his team-leading third assist in the game, sent a corner kick from the left side into the 18-yard box to find Lee for the header finish from just inside the 6-yard box. Lee sent his header off of an HPU defender standing on the goal line and into the net. It was the third career goal for Lee, and first since his freshman campaign.
The Sharks were credited with 2 shots following the go-ahead goal, but the WWU defense blocked both attempts in earning the team's second shutout win of the season.
The red card had been called at the 11:47 mark early in the first half as Rotter challenged an HPU player with both players sliding toward the ball in attempt to gain possession. As a whole, the game featured five cards with the red card and four yellows.
Each team had a single shot on goal at the half, with HPU holding a 6-2 advantage in total shots over the first 45 minutes. WWU put 4 of its 7 shots in the second half on goal, with the Sharks totaling 13 shots and 2 on frame in the half.
Freshman goalkeeper
Brandon Wolter (Vancouver, WA/Union) totaled 3 saves in posting his second shutout. HPU goalkeeper Chandler Schur made 4 saves for the Sharks.
"It was a great bounce-back win and I am really proud of the guys for this performance," Brisbon said. "It is a good non-conference victory. We head into GNAC play, our second season, on a positive note and we are ready to get going in conference play."
The Vikings will start the GNAC schedule next week. WWU is on the road to begin the conference slate next Thursday at Saint Martin's (1 pm) before returning home to host MSU Billings on Saturday (7 pm).
Saturday's conference home opener against MSU Billings is part of a Saturday doubleheader at Harrington Field, with the WWU women's soccer team hosting Simon Fraser at 4 pm.
GAME NOTES: WWU improved to 5-4-0 all-time against Hawai'i Pacific…Sharks won last meeting in 2013 with WWU winning the three previous meetings before 2013…
Jeremiah Lee scored his third career goal and first of the season…
Georg Cholewa leads the Vikings and ranks among GNAC leaders with 3 goals and 3 assists for 9 points through the non-conference schedule…Vikings posted their second shutout of the season and snapped a scoreless streak after being shut out the last two games.
About WWU Soccer:
The Western Washington University men's soccer program enters its 39
th season at the varsity level in 2018 with head coach
Greg Brisbon in his sixth season leading the program. The program has recorded an overall record at or above the .500 mark in five of the last six seasons, combining to go 49-41-18 (.537) over this stretch. In 2016 the Vikings advanced to the NCAA Division II Championships for the first time in program history, using a late-season surge that saw the Vikings 5-0-1 over the last six matches to advance to the postseason. WWU beat 19
th-ranked Dixie State in the first round of the NCAA Championships 3-2 in overtime on a golden goal header. Overall the program has produced 39 GNAC Player of the Week, 25 First Team All-GNAC selections and 3 GNAC Players of the Year since joining the conference in 2001.
