BURNABY, BC  – The Western Washington University men's soccer team has battled adversity all season, and Saturday evening on Burnaby Mountain was no different.

 

Trailing 1-0 in the waning seconds of the regular-season finale at Simon Fraser University, the Vikings leveled the game with six seconds remaining in regulation when senior Drew Farnsworth converted a penalty kick to send the game into overtime. Junior forward Gilbert De La Luz drew the penalty in the box when SFU all-conference goalkeeper Aidan Bain came well off his line and tackled De La Luz for the penalty.

 

Farnsworth slotted his right-footed shot into the left corner of the goal for his 16th career goal tying him for 13th-most in program history.

 

The elation of the last-second goal in regulation turned into heartbreak during the first overtime period, when SFU capitalized on a controversial handball ruling on Farnsworth in the box. Connor Glennon converted his penalty kick in the 99th minute to give SFU the 2-1 victory. The late ruling drew a response from the Vikings, with Gus Diehl and Farnsworth issued red cards following the end of the contest.

 

With a win, WWU would have been crowned Great Northwest Athletic Conference co-champions, defending its title form the last full season in 2019. But the 2-1 defeat dropped the Vikings to 7-8-2 overall and dropped to third place in the standings at 5-3-2. WWU also had its late-season surge and five-game unbeaten streak (3-0-2) snapped with the narrow loss on the turf at SFU Stadium at Terry Fox Field.

 

SFU leap-frogged Western in the standings to finish the season at 9-7-0 overall and 6-4-0 in conference play. WWU defeated SFU 1-0 on an overtime golden goal by Farnsworth in the first meeting in Bellingham earlier this season.

 

Playing without its starting center back Mitchell Hutter due to injury (and original starting center back Cam Miller who has been out nearly all season), the Vikings back line kept SFU off the scoreboard until midway through the second half.

 

SFU broke the scoreless tie in the 68th minute with a goal by Simone Masi off a corner by Connor Glennon. The corner was delivered from the left side of the field, with Masi streaking through the box almost unmarked where he connected on a header to the lower right part of the goal past WWU goalkeeper Brandon Locke.

 

The Vikings recorded 11 shots during the game, all coming after halftime and were credited with three shots on frame. Statisticians awarded SFU 30 shots in the contest with nine on target. WWU sophomore goalkeeper Brandon Locke made seven saves, one off his single-game career high.

 

The Vikings finished the 2021 season with a 7-8-2 overall record and placed 3rd in the GNAC with a 5-3-2 mark. After opening the season with a 2-6-0 record through the first eight games, WWU responded going 5-2-2 over its last nine games.

 

Simon Fraser 2, Western Washington 1 (OT)

Date: November 13, 2021

Field: SFU Stadium at Terry Fox Field Site: Burnaby, BC

Att: 233

 

Goals by period              1  2  OT   Tot

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

Western Washington.........  0  1  0  -  1

Simon Fraser...............  0  1  1  -  2

 

SCORING SUMMARY:

1.      67:20     SFU      Masi (Glennon) – Off Corner

2.      89:54     WWU      Farnsworth – Penalty Kick

3.      98:22     SFU      Glennon – Penalty Kick

 

Shots: SFU 30, WWU 11

Shots on Goal: SFU 9, WWU 3

Saves: WWU 7 (Locke - 7), SFU 2 (Bain - 2)

Corners: SFU 10, WWU 5

Fouls: WWU 7, SFU 6

Yellow Cards: WWU 4, WWU 2

Offsides: None

Kits: WWU (Black), SFU (Red)

 

WWU and SFU split the season series, with the Vikings winning 1-0 on October 9 in Bellingham on a golden goal by Drew Farnsworth in the 95th minute. Western is now 5-6-4 in the last 15 meetings vs. SFU dating back to the 2013 season. SFU maintains a 40-19-8 lead in the all-time series between the border rivals.

 

Here is a look at the final GNAC standings following play on Saturday, with the Vikings finishing in 3rd place with a 5-3-2 conference mark for 17 points. SPU won the GNAC title with 20 points (6-2-2) and will represent the conference in the NCAA Division II Championships.

 

 

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 is led by ninth-year head coach Greg Brisbon, who has spent over 20 seasons affiliated with WWU Soccer. The Vikings are the defending Great Northwest Athletic Conference champions, winning the 2019 title for the third league trophy in program history, and advanced to the NCAA II Championships for the second time. The program is in its 42nd varsity season in 2021, and has recorded an overall record at or above the .500 mark in eight of the last nine seasons, including a 13-5-1 mark in 2019 and 11-6-1 in 2018. 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. Overall the program has produced 58 GNAC Players of the Week selections, 30 First Team All-GNAC players and 4 GNAC Players of the Year since joining the conference in 2001. Off the field, WWU has built a strong academic reputation with 60 GNAC All-Academic selections over the last five years and the program has earned three consecutive United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Awards.