BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University women's soccer team took the field in official competition for the first time in nearly 500 days, playing Pacific Lutheran University to a 0-0 tie Saturday at Harrington Field.
 
The Vikings out-shot the Lutes 21-7, with a 6-3 advantage in shots on target, but could not find the back of the net after 90 minutes of regulation and two 10-minute overtime periods.
 
"This game was another step forward for our players and our team," said WWU head coach Travis Connell, in his 18^th season leading the women's program and 25^th overall at WWU. "I was very encouraged by how our players battled and competed. Competition has often brought the best out our teams and this group looks to be cut from the same cloth."
 
The WWU sophomore goalkeeper duo Claire Henninger (Sequim, WA) and Abigail Trengove (Folsom, CA/Long Beach State) combined for the 110-minute shutout, with Trengove making three saves.
 
WWU sophomore forward Estera Levinte (Bothell, WA) led the Vikings with six shots (2 on goal), with sophomore defender Makenzie Burks (Tacoma, WA/Stadium) and senior midfielder Darby Doyle (Spokane, WA/Gonzaga Prep) each recording three shots.
 
PLU goalkeeper Shaylin Ceasar made six saves while playing all 110 minutes.
  WWU is back on the pitch next Saturday hosting the University of Puget Sound at Harrington Field in a game scheduled to begin at 4 pm.
 

Western Washington 0, Pacific Lutheran 0 (2 OT)
Date: April 3, 2021
Field: Harrington Field    Site: Bellingham, WA
Weather: 50-degrees, Cloudy

Goals by period            1  2  OT OT  Tot
--------------------------------------------
Pacific Lutheran.........  0  0  0  0  - 0
Western Washington.......  0  0  0  0  - 0

Shots: WWU 21, PLU 7
Shots on Goal: WWU 6, PLU 3
Saves: WWU 3 (Henninger – 0, Trengove - 3), PLU 6 (Ceasar - 6)
Corners: WWU 11, PLU 3
Fouls: WWU 10, PLU 7

  Saturday's game vs. PLU will end a stretch of 476 days without the Vikings playing a counting game, dating back to the NCAA II National Championship game vs. Grand Valley State on December 14, 2019 (a 1-0 overtime loss). The Vikings played a pair of non-counting exhibition games last spring, February 29 and April 7, before all athletic competition was halted due to the pandemic.
  The Vikings are scheduled to play eight spring games as part of the 2020-21 championship season, with six home matches at Harrington Field and two on the road. Here is a look at the complete schedule, which is subject to change at any time. To view the most up-to-date schedule, with direct webcast and live stats links, visit WWUVikings.com/WSOC.
 

Date	Kickoff	Home/Away	Opponent	Location / Result
April 3 (Sat)	1:00 pm	Home	Pacific Lutheran	T, 0-0 (2 OT)
April 10 (Sat)	4:00 pm	Home	Puget Sound	Bellingham, WA (Harrington Field)
April 17 (Sat)	4:00 pm	Home	Northwest	Bellingham, WA (Harrington Field)
April 20 (Tue)	7:00 pm	Home	Saint Martin's	Bellingham, WA (Harrington Field)
April 24 (Sat)	4:00 pm	Home	Seattle Pacific	Bellingham, WA (Harrington Field)
May 8 (Sat)	2:00 pm	Away	Central Washington	Ellensburg, WA (CWU Soccer Field)
May 12 (Wed)	7:30 pm	Away	Seattle Pacific	Seattle, WA (Interbay Stadium)
May 22 (Sat)	4:00 pm	Home	Central Washington	Bellingham, WA (Harrington Field)

  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).
  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 finished 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. WWU finished the 2019 season with a 23-3-0 record, winning the West Regional title and played in the national championship game falling 1-0 to Grand Valley State. WWU's 179 wins during the 2010s decade were the 6^th-most out of 1,043 NCAA women's soccer programs.