SEATTLE, Wash. – The Western Washington University men's soccer team opened Great Northwest Athletic Conference play with a 3-1 road victory over rival Seattle Pacific University on Thursday night at Interbay Stadium.

 

WWU improved to 4-3-0 on the season with its first back-to-back wins of the 2019 campaign, using a goal just 32-seconds into the contest by senior forward Ryan Schaefer to get things off to a good start vs. the Falcons. 

 

After SPU (1-4-1, 0-1-0 GNAC) found the equalizer early in the second half in the 56^th minute, the Vikings scored a pair of unanswered goals in the 77^th and 85^th minutes to secure the 3-1 victory to open GNAC play at 1-0-0. 

 

The Vikings out-shot the Falcons 19-9 in the match and held a 5-4 advantage in shots on goal. Freshman goalkeeper Brandon Locke made his first collegiate start and recorded three saves. 

 

"It's always a great match vs. SPU and tonight I feel like we beat a really good team on the road to open conference play," said head coach Greg Brisbon. "We had a great start with Ryan's (Schaefer's) goal and didn't get complacent and really worked hard at solving SPU's defensive tactics. The second half we had a little lull for the first 15 minutes, not dealing with their pressure well, but we settled down, created some chances and got two late great goals."

 

WWU went on the offensive early and scored a goal just 32 seconds into the game when Schaefer took a pass from senior forward Christian Rotter, connected on a low dribbler from 6-yards out to beat the SPU keeper to the left post.

 

WWU took the one-goal advantage into the half, but SPU answered early in the second half with a goal off a free kick in the 56^th minute. SPU took a free kick from the from 30-yards near the left sideline, with Titus Grant finding a one-time touch to Ferry who fired a low show that snuck past Locke from five-yards out.

 

The Vikings forged ahead with a go-ahead goal in the 77^th minute when Schaefer again provided a go-ahead and eventual game-winning goal. Sophomore defender Teagan Eldridge intercepted a pass deep in the WWU half of the field and sprinted down the right side of the field to the 30-yardline, threading a through ball to junior midfielder Georg Cholewa, who got behind his defender, but the ball was cleared on a sliding challenge to the 18-yard line. Sophomore forward Johan Espinoza corralled the loose ball and fired the ball back into the box where Schaefer one-timed it past the SPU keeper and a defender to the lower left of the goal.

 

WWU sealed the victory with its third goal of the contest coming in the 85^th minute by redshirt freshman midfielder Alessandro Tomasi. Sophomore midfielder Dakota Stamnes placed a beautiful cross into the box where the 6-3 Tomasi connected on a perfect header to the upper right from 7-yards out for his first career goal.

 

"We beat a good team tonight to open conference play," added Brisbon. "We are excited for the conference season and the challenges it will bring us, but I like the makeup of our team and tonight was a great first step in league play. We will have a tough one Saturday hosting Saint Martin's, but we will be at Harrington Field under the lights and I think we will be ready."

 

WWU (4-3-0, 1-0-0 GNAC) returns home to host Saint Martin's (5-2-1, 0-1-0 GNAC) on Saturday Harrington Field with kickoff scheduled for 7 pm. The match vs. the Saints will cap a Viking Soccer Doubleheader, with the nationally-ranked women's team hosting Montana State Billings at 1 pm.

 

WWU has won four of the last five in the series vs. Seattle Pacific and the series is 4-1-2 in favor of the Vikings dating back to the 2016 season. SPU maintains a 48-18-9 lead in the all-time series.

 

Western Washington 3, Seattle Pacific 1

Date: October 3, 2019

Field: Interbay Stadium  Site: Seattle, WA

Attendance: 287

 

Goals by period           1  2    Tot

---------------------------------------

Western Washington......  1  2  -  3

Seattle Pacific.........  0  1  -  1

 

SCORING SUMMARY:

1.  00:32   WWU   Schaefer (Rotter)

2.  56:00   SPU   Grant

3.  76:40   WWU   Schaefer (Espinoza)

4.  84.50   WWU   Tomasi (Stamnes)

 

Shots: WWU 19, SPU 9

Shots on Goal: WWU 5, SPU 4

Saves: WWU 3 (Locke – 3), SPU 2 (Marwood - 2)

Corners: SPU 2, WWU 1

Fouls: SPU 18, WWU 16

Kits: WWU – Black; SPU – White

                  

Here is a look at the updated GNAC standings through games played on Thursday:

 

 

Fans can follow WWU men's soccer online at WWUVikings.com/MSoc, and via social media on Twitter (@SoccerWWU), Instagram (@wwu_msoccer) and Facebook (@WWUsoccermens). All home matches feature a live webcast, as well as most road matches, with links on how to follow the games available at WWUVikings.com/Live.

 

The Western Washington University men's soccer program enters its 40^th season at the varsity level in 2019 with head coach Greg Brisbon leading the program in his seventh season as the head coach. The program has recorded an overall record at or above the .500 mark in six of the last seven seasons, including a 11-6-1 mark overall in 2018 and a 7-4-1 mark in the GNAC to finish second in the conference. 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 43 GNAC Players of the Week selections, 27 First Team All-GNAC players and 3 GNAC Players of the Year since joining the conference in 2001.