BELLINGHAM, Wash. – For the first time this season, the Western Washington University women's soccer team will play consecutive home games at Harrington Field.

 

The No. 17 nationally-ranked Vikings host in-state rival Central Washington on Thursday at 7 pm and Montana State Billings on Saturday at 1 pm.

 

The Vikings are 5-2-0 overall and off to a 1-0-0 start to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference slate. All of WWU's remaining 11 matches will be league contests, with the top four teams in the GNAC standings at the end of the regular season qualifying for the GNAC Championships Nov. 14-16 at Interbay Stadium in Seattle.

 

WWU is coming off a 1-1-0 week, falling 2-1 to No. 9 Colorado School of Mines and opened league play with a 3-0 shutout victory at Simon Fraser. Through the first seven games of the 2019 season, the Vikings have played four road games (2-2-0), two home matches (2-0-0) and one neutral-site contest (1-0-0). WWU's losses are to current No. 9 Colorado Mines (8-1-0) and No. 15 Cal State Los Angeles (5-1-0).

 

This week's home contests at Harrington Field begins seven-game stretch where the Vikings will play five of those games in Bellingham.

 

The Vikings enter the week having allowed only three goals this season, ranking in the top 20 in NCAA Division II with a 0.420 goals against average and are tied for 9^th with five shutouts. 

 

 

Here are some quick notes on the Vikings heading this week's action vs. CWU and MSUB:

 

»     Stingy Defense – WWU has allowed only three goals in seven matches this season (.420 GAA).

»     Thin Margin – Four of WWU's seven games this season have been decided by a 1-0 score.

»     Everyday Annaliese – Senior defender Annaliese Laurila has started every match (75 of 75) of her career.

»     GNAC Champions – WWU has won six GNAC regular-season titles over the last seven seasons.

»     National Champions – WWU won the 2016 NCAA II National Championship with a 24-0-1 record.

»     Clean Sheets – Junior goalkeeper Natalie Dierickx has 5 clean sheets to her credit this season, and has recorded a shutout in 13 of 30 starts for the Vikings (tied for 9^th in program history).

»     Liv's Assists (and Goals) – Senior Liv Larson has recorded 23 career assists, 6^th-most in WWU history (24 is 5^th)…Larson also recorded her third career 2-goal game last Thursday vs. Texas Woman's and has 16 goals in 71 career games as a Viking (55 points).

»     Points for Karli – Senior forward Karli White has 35 total points in 25 matches with the Vikings (24 starts)…has at least a goal or an assist in 13 of 25 matches (12 goals, 11 assists).

 

Since debuting at Harrington Field in 2014, the Vikings are 50-2-1 (.953), including a perfect 9-0-0 record last season and off to a 2-0-0 start this season. The Vikings have a current 12-match home winning streak.

 

The Vikings will play Central Washington and Montana State Billings this week in GNAC play. Here is a look at the all-time series between WWU and the two schools:

 

»     Central Washington – WWU leads the all-time series 40-11-8, with a current 14-game unbeaten streak vs. the Wildcats (12-0-2)…tied Central last season 1-1 in a game played under the lights at Tomlinson Stadium…11-game unbeaten streak vs. CWU in Bellingham (8-0-3), including a 6-0 victory in the last meeting at Harrington Field in 2017.

»     Montana State Billings – WWU leads the all-time series 22-3-2…current 14-game winning streak and 15-game unbeaten streak vs. the Yellowjackets…9-1-1 all-time record vs. MSUB in games played in Bellingham, including 4-0 record at Harrington Field…during 15-game unbeaten streak (since 2011), Vikings have allowed only three MBUB goals.

 

Including the 3-2-0 start to this season, WWU is 72-13-8 (.817) in games away from Bellingham over the last eight seasons (9-3-2 last season, 12-1-0 in 2018). The Vikings have played five of their seven games this season on the road, including two separate trips to Colorado and one to Los Angeles.

 

The Vikings have picked up four of the eight GNAC Player of the Week awards so far this season, and won the defensive honor in three of the first four weeks of the season. Senior co-captains Karli White (Offense) and Annaliese Laurila (Defense) swept the opening week awards, and junior goalkeeperNatalie Dierickx (Defense) and senior midfielder Jordyn Bartelson (Defense) have won GNAC Defensive Player of the Week awards.

 

All of WWU's home games will stream live online with links available via WWUVikings.com/Live. All conference games can be followed via webcast and live stats at GNAC.tv. All WWU home games at Harrington Field will feature an HD webcast that will simulcast on GNAC.tv and WWU's YouTube channel. 

 

Fans can watch all WWU home games, most GNAC road games, and a handful of non-conference road games not only on their phone, computer or tablet, but also on a big-screen television. All games that stream on GNAC.tv are also easily viewed on Roku players, AppleTV, Android TV and Amazon Fire TV (just search for GNAC). WWU's home games also stream on YouTube for a great viewing experience with rewind capability. 

 

The Vikings dropped from No. 10 to No. 17 in the fourth regular-season edition of the United Soccer Coaches Division II Poll. WWU entered the season at No. 11 in the nation, the same spot where the team finished in the final 2018 rankings. WWU has a current streak of being ranked in each of the last 57 national polls dating back to midway through the 2014 season, and has at least received votes or been ranked in each of the last 82 polls going back to the 2012 season. 

 

Tickets for all of WWU's home matches can be purchased online in advance by visitingWWUVikings.com/WS_Tickets. The box office at Harrington Field will also open one hour prior to kickoff for each home game. All seats are general admission at Harrington Field ($5 – WWU student/faculty/staff/senior 60+, $8 – Adult). The complete 2019 schedule and additional information on the Vikings can be viewed at WWUVikings.com/WSOC.

 

Here is an updated look at the GNAC Women's Soccer standings heading into matches this week:

 

 

WWU has won 65 of its last 75 games dating back to the start of the 2016 national championship season, going 65-7-3 (.887) during this stretch. The program has won six of the last seven GNAC regular-season titles, three of the last four GNAC Tournaments and advanced to the NCAA Championships in each of the last seven seasons. During the seven-year stretch of consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, WWU has reached the West Regional Championship match six times and advanced to the NCAA II Final Four three times (2013, 2015, 2016). Western has a current streak of 15 consecutive winning seasons the 8th-longest active streak in NCAA II.

 

WWU women's soccer is in its 40th varsity season in 2019 and owns an all-time record of 470-209-60 for a .677 winning percentage. In 22 seasons playing at the NCAA Division II level, the program has recorded a 292-113-21 record and advanced to the NCAA Division II Championships nine times. Over the last eight seasons (since 2012), has combined to go 141-16-9 (.877) with a 81-5-5 (.918) record in conference play, and over the last five seasons (since 2015) has gone 86-9-4 (.889) with a pair of trips to the NCAA Championships Final Four.

 

Headlining WWU's list of returning players includes junior All-American goalkeeper Natalie Dierickx (0.53 GAA, 8 shutouts in 2018), senior forward Karli White (injured in 2018, 10 goals, 8 assists in 2017), junior midfielder Grace Eversaul (First Team All-GNAC, All-West Region), 2018 GNAC Freshman of the Year Dayana Diaz (7 goals) and three of four starting defensive players – seniors Annaliese Laurila, Emily Nelson and Lindsey Fujiwara that helped form one of the best back lines in the nation.

 

Here is a look at the 2019 GNAC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll. WWU received all nine first-place votes for a perfect total of 81 poll points. WWU has won the GNAC regular-season title in six if the last seven seasons (2012-16, 2018) and seven times overall. 

 

 

The Vikings won their seventh GNAC regular-season title and advanced to the NCAA II Championships for the ninth time in program history in 2018. WWU finished with a 18-3-2 overall record and were 10-1-1 in conference play. A seventh consecutive trip to the NCAA II Championships led to a fourth straight trip to the NCAA II West Regional championship game for the fourth consecutive season (6th in last 7 seasons). Had season come to a close in a game decided on penalty kicks in a 0-0 tie vs. UC San Diego in the West Regional championship in Canyon, Texas. Eight players earned All-GNAC honors, five named All-West Region and three players were selected as All-Americans. Set program record with 10 selections to the GNAC All-Academic team. Earned a final national ranking of No. 11 in the United Soccer Coaches Division II Top 25, extending string of consecutive polls to be ranked in to 52 straight, and the seventh consecutive season to end the season ranked nationally (combined to go 136-14-9/.884 during this stretch). Had 13-game unbeaten streak from Sept. 19-Nov. 1, going 12-0-1 during this stretch. Listed by the NCAA as having the 2nd-toughest schedule in the nation.

 

WWU won its seventh GNAC regular-season championship, and sixth in the last seven seasons finishing with 31 points in the conference table at 10-1-1 in league play last season. Also won GNAC regular-season titles in 2008 and five consecutive seasons from 2012-16. Over the last eight season (since 2012), the Vikings are 81-5-5 (.918) in GNAC play.

 

The  Vikings have made seven consecutive trips to the NCAA Division II Championships and nine overall trips to the NCAA postseason. Overall own an all-time 17-7-1 record in NCAA Championships play, winning at least one game in 7 of 9 trips to the NCAA postseason. WWU was crowned national champions after in 2016 with a 24-0-1 record, capped by a 3-2 victory over Grand Valley State in Kansas City, Missouri.

 

 

The Vikings established a program and state of Washington collegiate record with their 39th consecutive victory on Oct. 26, 2017 at Northwest Nazarene. The 39-game winning streak broke the previous record of 38 consecutive wins set by the 1982-84 Vikings (10 games in 1982, 14 in 1983 and 14 games in 1984) and is the 4th-longest in NCAA II history and the 40-game unbeaten streak is tied for 4th-longest.

 

Travis Connell is in his 17th season leading the women's program as head coach and 24th overall as a coach at WWU. Owns a 243-71-28 (.751) record leading the women's program and entered the season listed as the 6th-winningest active coach amongst NCAA Division II head coaches. Overall he is 10th among all-time winningest NCAA Division II coaches, with a minimum of 10 years as a head coach at a DII school.

 

Fans can follow WWU women's soccer online at WWUVikings.com/WSoc, and via social media on Twitter (@WWU_WSoccer), Instagram (@wwu_wsoccer) and Facebook (@WWUsoccerwomens).

 

The Western Washington University women's soccer program has risen to the top of the Division II ranks, with a string of seven consecutive appearances in the NCAA Championships. WWU has advanced to the NCAA II Final Four in three of the last six seasons and played for the West Region championship in six of the last seven 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 in Kansas City, Missouri. Including the national championship run, the Vikings put together a 39-game winning streak (4th-longest in NCAA II history) and a 40-game unbeaten streak. The program has claimed six of the last seven Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular-season titles, going 80-5-5 (.917) in league play during this stretch, and has won three of the last four GNAC Championships titles (2005, 2016, 2017). Head coach Travis Connell enters his 17^th season leading the program in 2019, and has led the Vikings to nine trips to the NCAA Championships and 15 consecutive winning seasons.