SEATTLE, Wash. – In a battle of the top two teams in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings, not even 110 minutes could settle the score between rivals Western Washington University and Seattle Pacific University.
The Vikings and No. 18 Falcons played to a 1-1 draw, with each team scoring a goal six minutes apart midway through the first half.
WWU and SPU are tied atop the GNAC table each with 17 points, but SPU has a game in hand with two matches next week. The Vikings played their penultimate game of the 2021 regular season recording a second consecutive 1-1 tie and are now 7-7-2 overall and 5-2-2 in GNAC play. The Vikings are 5-1-2 over their last eight games and have a five-game unbeaten streak (3-0-2). Seattle Pacific is now 11-2-2 overall and 5-2-2 in GNAC play.
"It was a great game tonight. I am very proud of the team's effort and execution of our game plan," said WWU head coach
Greg Brisbon. "We had a great team goal in the first half with several players involved and a great finish by Alex. We were a bit unlucky not to get one in the second half. Now we get some rest and look forward to next Saturday at Simon Fraser."
The Vikings opened the scoring in the 21st minute, when
Alex Whiting curled a shot from the left side of the box that eluded the SPU goalkeeper into the upper right quadrant.
Drew Farnsworth found
Alessandro Tomasi near the top of the box, who found a touch-pass to
Gilbert De La Luz for the layoff pass to a wide-open Whiting who finished from 9-yards out.
SPU equalized six minutes later when GNAC leading goal scorer Alex Mejia headed home his 14th goal of the season at the 26:25 mark. Titus Grant delivered the free kick into the box from outside the right side of the 18-yard box, with Mejia elevating above the defense to head the ball into the top part of the goal from 8-yards out.
Western had a chance to forge ahead late in the 55th minute when
Johan Espinoza fired a free kick off the post from just outside the box.
Theo Steinmetz had an open look off the rebounded shot that glanced off the right post, but his shot went high and right.
The defensive battle continued through the end of regulation and into the first overtime period. WWU sophomore goalkeeper
Brandon Locke made one of his seven spectacular saves three minutes into overtime, turning away a 15-yard shot by Mejia after he intercepted a pass deep in the Vikings side of the field.
Western's best overtime attempt was an 106th-minute shot by
Eric Bunnell that was on target, but slightly deflected by an SPU defender, slowing the ball to create a routine save for SPU goalkeeper Lars Helleren.
SPU recorded an 18-17 advantage in shots in the game, holding an 8-3 edge in shots on target. The Falcons were awarded 11 corners, compared to the four by the Vikings. The rivalry match featured 41 total fouls (21 by SPU) and five yellow cards.
Locke made seven saves, one short of his season and career-high eight saves earlier this season against the Falcons.
The Vikings still have a shot at defending their GNAC title closing out the season next Saturday at Simon Fraser University at SFU Stadium at Terry Fox Field. Seattle Pacific plays a pair of road games at Saint Martin's and Northwest Nazarene next week, with the GNAC champion and automatic bid to the NCAA Championships being decided by the outcome of those games.
WHITING LIGHTING IT UP
Senior forward
Alex Whiting scored the Vikings goal in the 1-1 tie Saturday at SPU. The goal was the fifth of the season for Whiting, tying
Gilbert De La Luz for the second-most on the team this season. Whiting has scored four goals in the last five games, including both goals during the Vikings 0-0-2 week in road ties against Montana State Billings and SPU.
UP NEXT
WWU (7-7-2, 5-2-2 GNAC) completes the 2021 regular season next Saturday crossing the border to play at Simon Fraser University with kickoff scheduled for 7 pm at SFU Stadium at Terry Fox Field. View the complete
2021 schedule at wwuvikings.com/MSOC, complete with webcast and live stats links.
QUICK STATS
Western Washington 1, #18 Seattle Pacific 1 (2 OT)
Date: November 6, 2021
Field: Interbay Stadium Site: Seattle, WA
Att: 333
Goals by period 1 2 OT Tot
-----------------------------------------------
Western Washington......... 1 0 0 - 1
#18 Seattle Pacific........ 1 0 0 - 1
SCORING SUMMARY:
1. 20:30 WWU Whiting (De La Luz, Tomasi)
2. 26:25 SPU Mejia (Grant)
Shots: SPU 18, WWU 17
Shots on Goal: SPU 8, WWU 3
Saves: WWU 7 (Locke - 7), SPU 2 (Helleren - 2)
Corners: SPU 11, WWU 4
Fouls: SPU 21, WWU 20
Yellow Cards: WWU 3, SPU 2
Offsides: WWU 0, SPU 0
Kits: WWU (Navy/Blue), SPU (White)
SERIES HISTORY VS. SEATTLE PACIFIC
WWU finished the season 0-1-1 vs. SPU also dropping a 2-0 contest to the Falcons on October 14 in Bellingham. That loss at Harrington Field snapped a five-game unbeaten streak vs. the Falcons. WWU is 6-2-4 vs. SPU over the last 12 meetings dating back to the start of the 2016 season. SPU leads the all-time series 38-17-10 according to WWU records.
GNAC TABLE
Here is a look at the GNAC standings following play on Saturday, with the Vikings in a first-place tie with Seattle Pacific with 17 points (5-2-2).
| MEN'S SOCCER |
GNAC |
PTS |
OVERALL |
PCT |
HOME |
AWAY |
NEUTRAL |
STREAK |
| 1. |
Western Washington |
5-2-2 |
17 |
7-7-2 |
.500 |
5-2-0 |
2-5-2 |
0-0-0 |
Tied 2 |
|
Seattle Pacific |
5-1-2 |
17 |
11-2-2 |
.800 |
5-1-1 |
6-1-1 |
0-0-0 |
Tied 1 |
| 3. |
Simon Fraser |
5-4-0 |
15 |
8-7-0 |
.533 |
4-0-0 |
2-6-0 |
2-1-0 |
Lost 2 |
| 4. |
Northwest Nazarene |
3-5-0 |
9 |
6-8-0 |
.429 |
3-2-0 |
3-5-0 |
0-1-0 |
Lost 4 |
| 5. |
Montana State Billings |
2-4-2 |
8 |
4-7-3 |
.393 |
2-1-2 |
1-4-1 |
1-2-0 |
Won 1 |
| 6. |
Saint Martin's |
2-6-0 |
6 |
3-12-0 |
.200 |
2-4-0 |
1-6-0 |
0-2-0 |
Won 1 |
| Saturday's GNAC Results |
Western Washington 1, at #18 Seattle Pacific 1 (2 OT)
at Saint Martin's 2, Northwest Nazarene 1
at Montana State Billings 3, Simon Fraser 0 |
