BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University women's soccer team opens postseason play on Thursday as the No. 1 seed in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships.

 

WWU (16-2-0, 12-0-0 GNAC) stormed through the GNAC regular season with a perfect record to receive the No. 1 seed in the four-team tournament. The GNAC Championships open play Thursday with the Vikings taking on No. 4 seed Central Washington at 4 pm and No. 2 seed and tournament host Seattle Pacific taking on No. 3 Western Oregon at 7 pm.

 

Finishing with a perfect 36 points in the GNAC table, WWU became just the third perfect season in conference play in the 19-year history of the GNAC. WWU was also 12-0-0 during the 2016 national championship season and SPU went 14-0-0 in 2007. It marked Western's fifth undefeated run through the league schedule, also going 11-0-1 in 2015, 11-0-3 in 2014 and 10-0-2 in 2008. Western is now an eight-time GNAC regular-season champion and has won the league title in seven out of the last eight seasons. 

 

WWU has now qualified for the GNAC Women's Soccer Championships in all eight of the tournaments since the event debuted in 2012, with the Vikings advancing to the title game in all seven previous seasons. The Vikings are four-time champions in the event, winning in 2012, 2015, 2016 and 2017, and are 11-1-2 all-time in the championships.

 

The Vikings outscored conference opponents 45-3, tallying nine shutouts in the process. A total of 12 Vikings were selected to the GNAC All-Conference Team, led by Player of the Year senior forwardKarli White and Defensive Player of the Year senior defender Emily Nelson. WWU also had 10 different players combine for 12 GNAC Player of the Week awards during the season.

 

WWU enters the GNAC Championships with a No. 7 national ranking and moved up one spot to No. 3 in the NCAA Division II West Regional rankings. The NCAA II Women's Soccer Championships Field of 56 will be announced on Monday at 3 pm PT via NCAA.com, with the Vikings in good position to make an eighth consecutive trip to the NCAA II Championships.

 

The Vikings enter the postseason as one of the most statistically dominating teams in the country, ranking 3^rd with a 0.332 goals against average, tied for 4^th with 13 shutouts and 14^th averaging 2.83 goals per game. 

 

 

The Vikings have now won back-to-back regular-season titles and raised the conference trophy for the seventh time in the last eight seasons. WWU won five consecutive titles from 2012-16 and again in 2018 to add to the 2008 league championship. The Vikings have also won four of the seven conference tournament titles. Over the last eight seasons (since 2012), the Vikings are 92-5-5 (.926) in GNAC play.

 

The WWU women's and men's soccer teams swept the 2019 GNAC soccer titles, with the men's program winning their first championship since 2008 and third in program history. The two programs have combined for a 28-5-1 record this season. Marks just the third time in the 19-year history of the GNAC that a school swept the men's and women's soccer titles, joining Seattle U. in 2001 and WWU in 2008.

 

WWU placed 12 players on the 2019 Great Northwest Athletic Conference All-League team, led by Player of the Year Karli White and Defensive Player of the Year Emily Nelson. The Vikings had four players earn First Team All-GNAC honors, with junior midfielder Grace Eversaul and junior goalkeeper Natalie Dierickx joining White and Nelson on the team. Western's domination of the All-GNAC team included four second-team selections and four players as honorable mention.

 

 

 

Karli White was selected as the GNAC Player of the Year, the fourth Viking to earn the honor in the 19-year history of the GNAC, and was also a unanimous first-team All-GNAC pick. White has started 17 of WWU's 18 games, recording 16 points on 4 goals and a league-best eight assists. In 35 games with WWU, White has tallied 44 points (1.26 points/game) with 14 goals and 16 assists. She was also a First Team All-GNAC selection in 2017 and redshirted in 2018 with a foot injury. She was also selected to the 2019 GNAC All-Academic Team and was a two-time GNAC Offensive Player of the Week award winner. She is the fourth Viking to earn the GNAC Player of the Year award and first since NCAA II National Player of the Year Sierra Shugarts in 2016. She joins Kristin Maris (2013) as the only other forward to earn the honor, with current assistant coach and former goalkeeper Jamie Arthurs also winning the top honor in 2012.

 

 

Emily Nelson was selected as the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year, the sixth Viking to earn the honor, and was also a First Team All-GNAC pick for the second consecutive season. Nelson appeared in 17 games, making 16 starts as a center back on the defense, helping lead one of the top defenses in the nation. WWU currently ranks 3^rd in NCAA II with a 0.332 goals against average and tied for 4^thwith 13 shutouts. She also scored three goals as a dangerous set-piece weapon. In 12 conference games, WWU's backline has conceded only three goals. Nelson is also a three-time GNAC All-Academic selection and was the GNAC Defensive Player of the Week for games played Oct. 7-13. She continues the long legacy of Vikings to earn the top defensive honor with WWU winning six of the 10 defensive awards since it debuted in 2010, with Nelson joining Brina Sych (2012), Brianna Jones (2013), Kim Cooper (2014), Delanee Nilles (2015) and Emily Webster (2016).

 

 

If you don't get past this section of this news release, you should still be updated on all things WWU Soccer:

 

»     The Record – 16-2-0 overall, 12-0-0 GNAC (1^st Place), current 12-game winning streak.

»     GNAC Championships Record – WWU is 11-1-2 all-time in GNAC Tournament play.

»     All GNAC Team – Placed 12 players on the 2019 All-GNAC Team, with four first-team selections including Player of the Year Karli White and Defensive Player of the Year Emily Nelson.

»     National Poll – No. 7 in national coaches poll this week, 62^nd consecutive week in the national top 25.

»     West Region – Listed No. 3 in the third NCAA II West Region ranking.

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

»     GNAC Champions – Clinched the 2019 GNAC regular-season title, the eighth in program history and seventh over the last eight seasons.

»     Players of the Week – Set a program record with 12 GNAC Player of the Week selections this season, with 10 different players earning a weekly honor.

»     Stingy Defense – Ranks 3^rd in NCAA II with 0.332 goals against average…tied for 4^th with 13 shutouts.

»     Surging Offense – 14^th in the nation averaging 2.83 goals per game, with 3.75 per game in GNAC play.

»     Balance – 51 goals have been scored by 13 different players, with nine players with 3+ goals each.

»     Karli's Points – Karli White is averaging 1.26 points/game in 35 career WWU games (14 G, 16 A).

»     Set Piece Success – Scored 18 of 51 goals off set pieces, including 13 off corner kicks.

»     Clean Sheets – Junior goalkeeper Natalie Dierickx has 8 clean sheets to her credit this season to lead the GNAC, and has recorded a shutout in 16 of 40 starts for the Vikings (tied for 8^th in WWU, tied for 16^th in GNAC history).

»     Captains – Seniors Liv Larson, Karli White and Annaliese Laurila are the team captains.

 

The Vikings are the No. 1 seed for in the 2019 GNAC Women's Soccer Championships that opens play Thursday at Interbay Stadium in Seattle. Seattle Pacific is the tournament host and No. 2 seed, Western Oregon is No. 3 and Central Washington is No. 4. WWU extended its streak of appearing in all eight of the GNAC Championships since the event debuted in 2012. The Vikings have advanced to the championship game every season of the tournament, winning the postseason league title four times (2012, 2015, 2016, 2017). Seattle Pacific (2) and Concordia (1) have claimed the three other GNAC Tournament titles. More information with information on how to purchase tickets is available atGNACSports.com.

 

Here is a look at the final 2019 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women's Soccer standings, with WWU claiming its eighth regular-season title in program history with a perfect 36 points at 12-0-0.

 

 

Here is a look at WWU's all-time records and notes on the series vs. GNAC Championships field:

 

»     Central Washington – Went 2-0 vs. the Wildcats this season, winning 2-0 in Bellingham and 2-1 in Ellensburg…WWU leads the all-time series 42-11-8 with a current 16-game unbeaten streak (14-0-2).

»     Seattle Pacific – Went 2-0 vs. the Falcons this season, both shutouts, with a 3-0 win in Bellingham and 2-0 in Seattle…19-game unbeaten streak vs. SPU, going 16-0-3 dating back to 2013 and current 12-game winning streak…WWU leads the all-time series 20-18-6.

»     Western Oregon – Defeated WOU 5-0 in Monmouth in the only meeting between the two teams this season…WWU leads the all-time series 37-6-1 with a current 10-game unbeaten streak (9-0-1)…dating back to the 2015 season, WWU has recorded seven consecutive shutout victories over the Wolves for a combined score of 22-0.

 

Here are some quick notes on the Vikings:

 

»     Thin Margin – Both of WWU's losses this season have been decided by one goal, and both are against teams that have been ranked in the national top 25 (Cal State LA, Colorado School of Mines).

»     GNAC Offensive Outburst – Outscored conference opponents 45-3, with a 295-64 domination in shots and 131-24 in shots on goal.

»     Chick's Games Played – Peyton Chick has played in 85 career games, tied for 7^th in program history.

»     Assist Leader – Karli White leads the GNAC and ranks in the top 25 nationally with 8 assists…also scored 4 goals for 16 points (tied for 4^th in GNAC).

»     Eversaul Does it All – Grace Eversaul has scored 5 goals and also contributed 5 assists to rank 2^nd on the team with 15 points (6^thin the GNAC)…she has started 17 matches this season and was a unanimous First Team All-GNAC selection.

»     Hat Trick +1 – Zoe Milburn tied the GNAC single-game record with 4 goals vs. MSUB on Oct. 5…Milburn leads the team with 6 goals on the season despite missing the missing the last four games.

»     Liv's Assists (and Goals) – Senior Liv Larson has recorded 25 career assists, tied for 4^th-most in WWU history…Larson also recorded her third career 2-goal game vs. Texas Woman's and has 19 goals in 77 career games as a Viking (63 points, 14^th in WWU history).

»     Everyday Annaliese – Senior defender Annaliese Laurila had her streak of 83 consecutive starts snapped near the end of the season due to an injury…she is 13^th in program history in games played.

»     Eight is Enough – WWU's 8 goals in the 8-0 victory over MSUB are the second-most during the GNAC era (since 2001), trailing only 9 goals vs. Central Washington in 2005.

»     A Team Effort – A total of 24 players have seen action on the pitch this season for the Vikings, including six freshman (true freshman or redshirts).

»     Senior Success – WWU features a 9-player senior class, with six of the nine making their debut during the 2016 national championship season…this class has recorded a combined record of 76-7-3 (.901) with a 45-2-1 mark in GNAC play.

 

WWU is paced by senior forwards Liv Larson and Karli White. Larson leads the team with 17 points (6 goals and 5 assists) while White follows closely behind with 16 points (4 goals and a GNAC-best 8 assists). Junior forward Zoe Milburn also contributed six goals, all of which came in conference play. 13 different players scored 2 or more goals during the regular season.

 

The Vikings defense has been stout once again, racking up 13 shutouts and a 0.332 goals against average to lead the GNAC in both categories. WWU is 3^rd nationally in goals against average and tied for 4th in shutouts. Junior goalkeeper Natalie Dierickx has recorded eight individual shutouts and ranks 8^th nationally with a 0.379 goals against average (6 goals allowed). Senior defender Emily Nelson was selected as the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year and WWU had the GNAC Defensive Player of the Week seven times during the season.

 

WWU ended the 2019 regular season with a 23-game unbeaten streak in GNAC games going back to last season, with a 22-0-1 mark during this stretch. The last loss in regular-season conference play was Sept. 15, 2018 at Concordia (1-0).

 

Including the 8-2-0 record this season, WWU is 77-13-8 (.827) in games away from Bellingham over the last eight seasons (9-3-2 last season, 12-1-0 in 2018). The Vikings played 10 of their 18 regular-season games on the road, including two separate trips to Colorado and one to Los Angeles.

 

The Vikings moved up one spot to No. 3 in the final installment of the NCAA Division II West Regional Rankings. WWU is ranked behind Sonoma State and UC San Diego, and jumped ahead of Cal Poly Pomona. The NCAA Division II Selection Show will air on Monday, November 18 at 3 pm PT on NCAA.com.

 

Since debuting at Harrington Field in 2014, the Vikings are 56-2-1 (.958), including a perfect 9-0-0 record last season and 8-0-0 this season. The Vikings have a current 18-match home winning streak dating back to their last loss at home on Oct. 28, 2017 vs. Concordia. Including the men's program, WWU's teams have a combined record of 85-18-9 at Harrington Field (.799 winning percentage) since the on-campus facility debuted.

 

The Vikings ended the regular season ranked No. 7 in 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 62 national polls dating back to midway through the 2014 season, and has at least received votes or been ranked in each of the last 87 polls going back to the 2012 season.

 

WWU has allowed only 6 goals in 18 games this season to rank 3^rd with a 0.332 goals against average. Here is a look at the national GAA leaders for NCAA II (as of 11/12/19):

 

 

Of the Vikings 16 wins this season, 13 have come in shutout fashion, including three consecutive 1-0 shutouts to open the season. WWU is tied for 4^th nationally in NCAA Division II with 13 shutouts, trailing 15 shutouts by Grand Valley State and 14 by Nova Southeastern and Concordia-St. Paul. The 13 shutouts are already one more than last season's total and marks the 10^th consecutive season with double-digits in clean sheets. Junior Natalie Dierickx has recorded 8 shutouts to lead all GNAC goalkeepers.

 

WWU allowed its first goal in GNAC play in the Oct. 19 game vs. Simon Fraser at the 7:55 mark, snapping a string of 621:44 consecutive scoreless minutes dating back to the Sept. 25 game at Colorado School of Mines. 

 

The Vikings scored 40 goals over the last 10 games and out-scored GNAC opponents 45-3 in conference play. Here are some quick facts on the Vikings offensive surge:

 

»     Goals by the Dozen – Out-scored GNAC opponents 45-3 in 12 conference games.

»     No Holding Back – Out-shot GNAC opponents 295-64, with a 131-24 advantage in shots on goal.

»     Team Effort – 13 players combined for the 45 goals in GNAC play, led by 6 from Zoe Milburn, 5 from Estera Levinte and 4 each from Jenna Killman, Darby Doyle and Grace Eversaul.

»     Big Numbers – Scored 25 goals over a four-game stretch Oct. 5-15.

 

The Vikings picked up 12 of the 20 GNAC Player of the Week awards in 2019, and won the defensive honor in seven of the 10 weeks of the season. The 12 GNAC Player of the Week awards have set a single-season program record, passing the seven selections by the 2017 squad. Even more amazing than the 12 GNAC Player of the Week selections, is that 10 different players have earned the awards.

 

 

Junior forward Zoe Milburn scored four goals in the Vikings 8-0 victory over Montana State Billings on October 5 at Harrington Field. Here are some quick facts on the amazing scoring performance by Milburn:

 

»     GNAC Royalty – Tied the single-game record in GNAC history, matching the four goals scored by NNU's Rikki Myers earlier this season (9/14 vs. Cal State East Bay)….most goals by a player in a GNAC conference game.

»     WWU Rarity – First 4-goal game by a WWU player since Shonna Hall in 1995 vs. Evergreen State College.

»     Hat Trick (+1) – 32^nd instance in 40 years of WWU soccer history that a player recorded a hat trick, and only the eighth time to reach the 4+ goal territory.

»     NCAA Ledger – One of 22 instances in NCAA Division II this season a player has scored 4+ goals in a game.

 

Senior forward Liv Larson has recorded 5 assists this season to rank tied for 4^th in the GNAC. Larson now has 25 assists in 79 career games in her WWU career, tying for 4^th-most in program history with Amanda Coulter (1991-94). Larson's 25 assists are also tied for 9^th-most in GNAC history. In addition to the 25 career assists, Larson has also scored 19 goals (6 this season) and has 63 career points to move into the top 15 in program history.

 

 

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. 

 

 

WWU head coach Travis Connell recorded his 250th head coaching victory in the 3-0 win over Seattle Pacific. In his 17 seasons leading the WWU women's program, Connell owns an all-time 254-71-28 record (.759) at the helm of the women's program, and adds in 125 more victories in his 14 seasons also coaching the WWU men's program (378 total WWU wins).

 

For the second consecutive season, 10 members of the WWU women's soccer team have been selected to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference All-Academic Team. The Vikings tied the program record for most GNAC Academic All-Stars, matching the 10 selections from last season. The previous high mark for the WWU women's program was eight from the 2017 season. Seniors Jordyn Bartelson, Liv Larson, Annaliese Laurila and Emily Nelson headlined WWU's selections as three-years All-Academic team members. The four are part of select company in WWU program history, now with 18 players earning three GNAC Academic awards in a career. WWU also won the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award in each of the last two seasons.

 

 

WWU has won 76 of its last 86 games dating back to the start of the 2016 national championship season, going 76-7-3 (.901) during this stretch. The program has won seven of the last eight GNAC regular-season titles (including 2019), 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.

 

Dating back to the start of the 2013 season (the seven season), WWU has compiled an impressive 133-12-9 record for a .893 winning percentage. During this 154-game span WWU has won the GNAC regular-season title six times, combining to go 80-3-5 (.938) in league play and won three postseason GNAC Championships. Among all NCAA Division II programs, the winning percentage since the start of the 2013 is the SECOND-BEST IN THE NATION, trailing only Grand Valley State (154-11-6/.918).

 

 

WWU women's soccer is in its 40th varsity season in 2019 and owns an all-time record of 481-209-60 for a .681 winning percentage. In 22 seasons playing at the NCAA Division II level, the program has recorded a 303-113-21 record and advanced to the NCAA Division II Championships nine times. Over the last eight seasons (since 2012), has combined to go 152-16-9 (.884) with a 92-5-5 (.926) record in conference play, and over the last five seasons (since 2015) has gone 97-9-4 (.900) with a pair of trips to the NCAA Championships Final Four.

 

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.

 

The  Vikings have made seven consecutive trips to the NCAA Division II Championships and nine overall trips to the NCAA postseason (2019 would be 8 straight and 10 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 254-71-28 (.759) 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. Recorded his 250^th win leading the women's program on October 24 vs. Seattle Pacific.

 

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). 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 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 seven of the last eight Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular-season titles, going 92-5-5  in league play during this stretch (since 2012), and has won three of the last four GNAC Championships titles (2005, 2016, 2017). Head coach Travis Connell is in 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.