PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Western Washington University women's soccer program has a sign in its locker room that states "Meant For More."

 

And in this case, the Vikings have lived up to the season slogan qualifying for the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship Semifinal for the fourth time in program history. WWU was awarded the chance to host the 3^rd and 4^th round games at Harrington Field last week, and seized the opportunity winning a pair of games to punch its ticket to Pittsburgh to remain one of four teams still competing for the 2019 national title.

 

WWU is seeded No. 3 in the remaining four-team field and will play No. 2 seed Flagler College in the semifinal round on Thursday at 2 pm ET/11 am PT at Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh. No. 1 Grand Valley State and No. 4 College of Saint Rose will meet in the first semifinal, with winners playing for the national title on Saturday at 12 pm ET/9 am PT.

 

The Vikings enter the national championships tournament with a 22-2-0 overall record and carry an 18-game winning streak into Thursday's match vs. the 23-0-1 Saints.

 

Starting as the No. 3 seed in the West Region, the Vikings recorded a pair of 1-0 wins over Stanislaus State and Sonoma State in Rohnert Park, California to advance to the West Regional championship game for the seventh time in the last eight seasons. WWU clinched its fourth regional title with a 1-0 win over Point Loma last Thursday at Harrington Field. Western then dominated Dixie State 3-0 on Saturday to secure the trip to Pittsburgh.

 

This is WWU's fourth trip to the national semifinal round, traveling to Evans, Georgia in 2013, Pensacola, Florida in 2015 and Kansas City, Missouri in 2016. The Vikings are 1-2 all-time in national semifinal games, defeating Kutztown 3-0 in 2016 to advance to the national championship game. WWU then defeated Grand Valley State 3-2 to win the 2016 national championship.

 

The Vikings are making their eighth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament and 10^th overall in program history. WWU earned the Great Northwest Athletic Conference automatic bid to the tournament winning the conference tournament, and were also the regular-season champions with a perfect 12-0-0 record in league play. Western is 21-7-1 all-time in the NCAA II Championships and is three years removed from winning the 2016 national title.

 

 

It is only fitting that three of the top women's soccer programs of the last 10 years wrap up the decade at the national championships in Pittsburgh. Grand Valley State (9), Saint Rose (5) and Western Washington (4) have made the most national semifinal appearances during the recent decade (2010-19).

 

Most NCAA II National Semifinal Appearances (2010-19)

·        Grand Valley State          9

·        Saint Rose                       5

·        Western Washington    4

·        UC San Diego                 3

·        Bridgeport                        2

·        Columbus State               2

·        West Florida                    2

 

WWU heads into the national semifinals with a 178-25-16 record this decade for a .849 winning percentage. The Vikings have recorded double-digits in wins in each season since 2010, including four 20-win seasons. Among all NCAA Division II schools that sponsor women's soccer, WWU's 178 wins are tied for 4^th-most and .849 winning percentage is 3^rd-best. Here is a look at the top NCAA II women's soccer programs this decade, with three of the top four featured in this week's NCAA Championship Finals:

 

 

The 2019 WWU women's soccer roster features nine seniors, six of which have been with the program for four (or five) years. The class has combined to record a 82-7-3 record for a .908 winning percentage, also going 45-2-1 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. Six of the seniors –Annaliese Laurila, Lindsey Fujiwara, Liv Larson, Jordyn Bartelson, Emily Nelson and Peyton Chick were freshman during the 2016 national championship season.

 

The national semifinal games will feature a live webcast in high definition via NCAA.com. Here is a direct link to the webcast and list statistical updates for the game between WWU and Flagler.

 

• NCAA.com Webcast
• Live Stats

 

If you own a smart TV, you can also tune into the game via the B/R Live app on one of the following connected devices by searching for the B/R Live channel:

 

• Roku Express, Roku Premiere, Roku Stick, Roku Ultra
• Apple TV - 4th Generation and up
• Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, Fire TV Cube
• Android TV
• Xbox One

 

The Vikings are playing in their fourth national semifinal game, all coming over the last seven seasons. The city of Pittsburgh will host eight teams – 4 women's, 4 men's – with four games played in the semifinal round on Thursday and the two national championship games on Saturday at Highmark Stadium. Slippery Rock University, Highmark Stadium and SportsPITTSBURGH are serving as the tournament hosts for the second consecutive season. The complete bracket for the 56-team NCAA II Women's Soccer Championships is available online at NCAA.com.

 

 

The NCAA Division II Women's and Men's Soccer Championships Semifinals and Finals will be played at Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The stadium features a FIFA-certified synthetic turf field with seating capacity for 5,000 fans. It is the home of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC professional team that plays in the United Soccer League (USL), in addition to the Carlow University and Point Park University men's and women's soccer programs. The stadium features picturesque views near the intersection of the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers.

 

Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

WWU is 22-2-0 overall heading into the national semifinal round and has won 18 consecutive games. The 22 wins are 2^nd-most in program history trailing only the 24 wins by the national championship 2016 team. Went 10-0-0 in home games at Harrington Field and was 12-2-0 on the road (4-0-0 neutral site). Won the GNAC regular-season title with a perfect 12-0-0 record and was victorious in the conference championships tournament. Here is a look at Western's record breakdown for the 2019 season:

 

 

WWU has advanced to the national semifinals after starting out as the No. 3 see in the West Region. After a pair of 1-0 wins over Stanislaus State and Cal State LA (2 OT), WWU played in its fifth consecutive West Regional final and clinched its fourth title with a 1-0 win over Point Loma. Hosting the third and fourth rounds at Harrington Field in Bellingham, WWU defeated Dixie State 3-0 in the national quarterfinal to punch its ticket to Pittsburgh.

 

Here is a look at WWU's all-time records and notes on the series vs. three teams that are playing in Pittsburgh this weekend in the national semifinal round of the 2019 NCAA II Women's Soccer Championships:

 

·      Flagler – Have never met.

·      Saint Rose – Have never met.

·      Grand Valley State – Series is tied 1-1-0 with both meetings in the NCAA II Championships…defeated GVSU 3-2 in the 2016 national title game and defeated 3-2 in the national semifinal in 2015.

 

The Vikings have now made eight consecutive trips to the NCAA Division II Championships and 10 overall appearances in the NCAA postseason. This marks WWU's fourth trip to the national finals, going 1-2 in semifinal games. The program owns an all-time 21-7-1 record in NCAA Championships play (4-0 this season), winning at least one game in 8 of the 10 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.

 

 

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

 

·      The Record – 22-2-0 overall, 12-0-0 GNAC (1^st Place), current 18-game winning streak.

·      Winning Streak – Current 18-game winning streak out-scoring opponents 55-5 during the streak…3^rd-longest winning streak in program history behind 39-game streak (2016-17) and 38-game streak (1982-84).

·      Stingy Defense – Leads NCAA II with a .330 goals against average (8 goals allowed in 24 games) and is 2^ndwith 17 shutouts (tied for most in single-season WWU history).

·      Surging Offense – 21^st in the nation averaging 2.54 goals per game, the 3^rd-best goal scoring average by the Vikings over the last 24 seasons (since 1996)…61 goals scored are 2^nd-most in program history behind 66 by national championship 2016 season.

·      NCAA Championships Record – All-time 21-7-1 in 10 trips to the NCAA Tournament, recording at least one win in 8 of 10 NCAA appearances.

·      National Semifinals – Making fourth appearance in the national semifinals, all over the last seven seasons since 2013…won fourth West Region title, each time also earning a national quarterfinal victory.

·      GNAC Champions – Won both the GNAC regular-season and conference tournament titles…8^th regular-season title and 5^th tournament title in program history.

·      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.

·      GNAC Tournament MVP – Karli White backed up her Player of the Year honor earning her second career GNAC Tournament MVP award scoring the game-winning goal in the championship game.

·      All-Region Awards – Six players earned United Soccer Coaches or D2CCA All-West Region honors, including first-team selections Karli White, Grace Eversaul, Emily Nelson, Peyton Chick and Natalie Dierickx.

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

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

·      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.

·      Balance – 61 goals have been scored by 14 different players, with 11 players with 3+ goals each…six players have scored 5+ goals, with Liv Larson and Grace Eversaul leading the team with 7 goals.

·      Clutch Chick – Peyton Chick leads the team and ranks 21^st in NCAA II with 9 assists, 5 of which have come in the postseason.

·      Karli's Points – Karli White is averaging 1.17 points/game in 41 career WWU games (16 G, 16 A).

·      Set Piece Success – Scored 23 of 61 goals off set piece attacks, including 16 off corner kicks.

·      Clean Sheets – Junior goalkeeper Natalie Dierickx has 12 shutouts this season to rank among the NCAA leaders and is 3^rd in NCAA II with a 0.364 goals against average (allowed 8 goals in 1977 minutes)…has recorded a shutout in 20 of 46 starts for the Vikings (5^th in WWU, tied for 9^th in GNAC history).

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

·      The Head Coach – Travis Connell is in his 17^th season as the head coach of the women's program (24^th overall at WWU) and owns a 260-71-28 (.763) record leading the program.

 

The Vikings defense has been stout once again, racking up 17 shutouts to tie the program single-season record and leads NCAA II with a 0.330 goals against average. Junior goalkeeper Natalie Dierickx has recorded 12 individual shutouts and ranks 3^rd nationally with a 0.364 goals against average (8 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. Here is a look at the top defenses in NCAA II (by goals against average) heading into the NCAA Championships:

 

 

Including the 14-2-0 record this season, WWU is 81-13-8 (.833) in games away from Bellingham over the last eight seasons (9-3-2 last season, 12-1-0 in 2018). The Vikings have played 14 of 24 games this season on the road, including two separate trips to Colorado, one to Los Angeles and to Rohnert Park for the first two rounds of the NCAA Championships.

 

Here is where WWU ranks in the NCAA Division II statistics update:

 

 

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 (Annaliese Laurila, Jordyn Bartelson, Darby Doyle, Zoe Milburn) and four players as honorable mention (Makenzie Burks, Peyton Chick, Liv Larson, Estera Levinte).

 

A total of six players earned All-West Region honors by the United Soccer Coaches and Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA). Players that earned first-team honors include senior forward Karli White, junior midfielder Grace Eversaul, senior defenders Emily Nelson and Peyton Chick and junior goalkeeper Natalie Dierickx. Senior defender Annaliese Laurila also earned second-team honors from the United Soccer Coaches.

 

 

Here are some additional 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).

·      Offensive Outburst – Outscored opponents 55-5, with a 416-96 domination in shots and 188-38 in shots on goal during the current 18-game winning streak.

·      Welcome Back – Senior defender Lindsey Fujiwara (missed 7 games) and freshman midfielder Libby Hielkema (missed 13 games) returned to the field recently after suffering early-season injuries.

·      Chick's Games Played – Peyton Chick has played in 91 career games, tied for the most in program history.

·      Eversaul Does it All – Grace Eversaul has scored 7 goals to tie for the team lead and also contributed 5 assists to rank 3^rd on the team with 19 points…she has started 22 matches this season and was a unanimous First Team All-GNAC and All-West Region selection.

·      Hat Trick +1 – Zoe Milburn tied the GNAC single-game record with 4 goals vs. MSUB on Oct. 5…Milburn is tied for the team lead with 6 goals on the season despite missing the missing four games with an injury.

·      Liv's Assists (and Goals) – Senior Liv Larson has recorded 26 career assists, tied for 2^nd-most in WWU history, and has 20 goals in 85 career games as a Viking (66 points, tied for 13^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 17^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 freshmen (true freshmen 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 82-7-3 (.908) with a 45-2-1 mark in GNAC play.

 

WWU finished with a perfect 36 points going 12-0-0 during the 2019 GNAC regular season, recording just the third perfect season in conference play in the 19-year history of the league. 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. 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 2018-19 to add to the 2008 league championship for eight total GNAC regular-season championships. The Vikings have also won five of the eight conference tournament titles including the 2019 GNAC Championships. Over the last eight seasons (since 2012), the Vikings are 92-5-5 (.926) in GNAC play.

 

The Vikings were the No. 1 seed in the 2019 GNAC Women's Soccer Championships held Nov. 14-16 at Interbay Stadium in Seattle. WWU defeated host Seattle Pacific University 2-1 in the championship game to win its fifth GNAC Tournament title in the eight-year history of the event. The Vikings have appeared in all eight of the GNAC Championships since the event debuted in 2012 (advancing to the final each year), are 13-1-2 in GNAC Tournament play and claimed titles in 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019.

 

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.

 

 

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 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).

 

Since debuting at Harrington Field in 2014, the Vikings are 58-2-1 (.959), including a perfect 9-0-0 record last season and 10-0-0 this season. The Vikings have a current 20-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 87-19-9 at Harrington Field (.796 winning percentage) since the on-campus facility debuted.

 

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.

 

Senior forward Liv Larson has recorded 6 assists this season, including on the game-winning goal in the NCAA second round, and now has 26 assists in 85 career games in her WWU career, tying for 2^nd-most in program history with Cindy Gordon (1981-84) and Kelly Irving (2006-09). Larson's 26 assists are also tied for 8^th-most in GNAC history. In addition to the 26 career assists, Larson has scored 20 goals (7 this season) and has 66 career points to move into the top 15 in program history.

 

 

Both the WWU women's and men's soccer advanced to play in the NCAA Division II Soccer Championships, with the women's team the No. 3 seed in the West Region (56-team tournament) and the men's squad the No. 6 seed in the Super 4 Region (40-team tournament). According to the NCAA, there are 213 Division II schools that sponsor both men's and women's soccer and just 12 had both programs advance to the NCAA II Championships (five from the West Region):

 

·      Western Washington

·      Cal Poly Pomona

·      Cal State LA

·      Colorado School of Mines

·      Lee

·      McKendree

·      Mercy

·      Millersville

·      UC San Diego

·      UIndy

·      West Chester

·      Wingate

 

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 35-7-1 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.

 

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. Junior midfielder Grace Eversaul was also selected to the Academic All-District 8 Team for the second consecutive season. WWU also won the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award in each of the last two seasons.

 

 

WWU has won 82 of its last 92 games dating back to the start of the 2016 national championship season, going 82-7-3 (.908) during this stretch. The program has won seven of the last eight GNAC regular-season titles (including 2019), four of the last five GNAC Tournaments and advanced to the NCAA Championships in each of the last eight seasons. During the eight-year stretch of consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, WWU has reached the West Regional Championship match seven times and advanced to the NCAA II national semifinals four times (2013, 2015, 2016, 2019). Western has a current streak of 16 consecutive winning seasons the 8th-longest active streak in NCAA II.

 

WWU is 21-7-1 all-time in 10 trips to the NCAA Championships, recording at least one win in eight of 10 appearances. Here is a game-by-game rundown of the Vikings in the NCAA Division II Tournament:

 

2006 (0-1):

Lost to UC San Diego, 4-0

 

2008 (1-1):

Defeated Cal State Dom. Hills, 1-0

Lost to Seattle Pacific, 1-0 (OT)

 

2012 (2-1):

Defeated Cal Poly Pomona, 2-1 (OT)

Defeated Sonoma State, 2-1 (OT)

Lost to UC San Diego, 2-1 (OT) – West Region Final

 

2013 (3-1):

Defeated Seattle Pacific, 2-0

Defeated Cal State San Bernardino, 1-0 – West Region Final

Defeated St. Edward's 2-0

Lost to West Florida, 2-1 (OT) – National Semifinal

 

2014 (0-1):

Lost to Cal State Stanislaus, 1-0

 

2015 (3-1):

Defeated Seattle Pacific, 1-0

Defeated Azusa Pacific, 1-0 – West Region Final

Defeated Dallas Baptist, 3-1

Lost to Grand Valley State, 3-2 – National Semifinal

 

2016 (5-0):

Defeated Central Washington, 2-0

Defeated UC San Diego, 2-1 (OT) – West Region Final

Defeated Colorado Mines, 5-1

Defeated Kutztown, 3-0

Defeated Grand Valley State, 3-2 – National Championship Game

 

2017 (1-1):

Defeated Sonoma State, 2-0

Lost to UC San Diego, 2-0 – West Region Final

 

2018 (2-0-1):

Defeated Sonoma State, 1-0

Defeated Concordia, 3-2 (OT)

Tied UC San Diego, 0-0 (2OT) – lost 4-1 on PK – West Region Final

 

2019 (2-0-0):

Defeated Stanislaus State, 1-0

Defeated Cal State LA, 1-0 (2OT)

Defeated Point Loma, 1-0 – West Region Final

Defeated Dixie State, 3-0 – National Quarterfinal

 

Dating back to the start of the 2013 season (the last seven seasons), WWU has compiled an impressive 139-12-9 record for a .897 winning percentage. During this 160-game span WWU has won the GNAC regular-season title seven times, combining to go 80-3-5 (.938) in league play and won four 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 (160-11-6/.921).

 

 

WWU women's soccer is in its 40th varsity season in 2019 and owns an all-time record of 487-209-60 for a .684 winning percentage. In 22 seasons playing at the NCAA Division II level, the program has recorded a 309-113-21 record and advanced to the NCAA Division II Championships 10 times. Over the last eight seasons (since 2012), has combined to go 158-16-9 (.888) with a 92-5-5 (.926) record in conference play, and over the last five seasons (since 2015) has gone 103-9-4 (.905) with a pair of trips to the NCAA Championships Final Four.

 

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. WWU has a current 18-game winning streak, 3^rd-longest in program history.

 

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 260-71-28 (.763) 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.

 

WWU head coach Travis Connell recorded his 250th head coaching victory in the 3-0 win over Seattle Pacific on October 24. In his 17 seasons leading the WWU women's program, Connell owns an all-time 260-71-28 record (.763) 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 (384 total WWU wins).

 

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 eight consecutive appearances in the NCAA Championships. WWU has advanced to the NCAA II Final Four in four of the last seven seasons and played for the West Region championship in seven of the last eight 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 won four of the last five GNAC Tournament titles (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019). Head coach Travis Connell is in his 17^th season leading the program in 2019, and has led the Vikings to 10 trips to the NCAA Championships (8 straight) and 16 consecutive winning seasons.