BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University Men's Soccer team will open the 2021 season with a No. 2 ranking in the annual Great Northwest Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll.
 
The Vikings are the defending GNAC champions after winning the league title in 2019, posting a 13-5-1 overall record and a 10-1-1 mark in conference play. The historic season concluded with the programs second trip to the NCAA Division II Championships.
 
WWU went 3-1-1 during the COVID-shifted 2020-21 season, playing only five official matches during the spring season. Ninth-year head coach Greg Brisbon returns nearly his entire team from last spring, and will feature a veteran lineup throughout the defense and midfield.
 
"I am very excited to get going with our guys. With returning mostly everyone from 2019 and the great additions we have for this fall, I feel we will be able to compete in every game and hopefully claim another GNAC title," said Brisbon, who has built a 68-45-19 (.587) record at the help of the Vikings. "It will be very difficult as it seems to be every year in the GNAC. I keep scheduling a very difficult schedule but that's why you come to Western, compete against the best and have a shot at the national tournament every year."
 
Anchoring the Vikings' defense are senior Camron Miller, junior Teagan Eldridge, senior Iakov Shmelev, freshman Mitchell Hutter and sophomore goalkeeper Brandon Locke. A First Team All-GNAC selection in 2019, Miller scored four goals and helped to lead a defense that completed eight shutouts. Miller scored a goal and had an assist in five starts in 2020-21. Locke earned second-team honors in 2019 after he led the conference with a 0.73 goals against average, a .808 save percentage and seven shutouts.
 
Senior midfielder Drew Farnsworth takes the field for his final collegiate season having played in 57 career matches, while junior Gus Diehl has been a stalwart in the middle with 41 career starts under his belt and junior Dakota Stamnes has 38 caps during his three-year Western career.
 
Forwards Alessandro Tomasi (2 goals in 2020-21), Alex Whiting (3 goals in 23 career games), Johan Espinoza (2 goals, 3 assists in 23 career games) and freshmen Eric Bunnell and Hatcher Manning are expected to provide a bulk of the offensive power leading into the season.
 
Simon Fraser received a total of 34 points and four first-place votes, edging out WWU, which received 31 points and the remaining two first-place votes in the preseason coaches poll. Coming off a third-place finish in 2019, Seattle Pacific enters 2021 picked third with 21 points. The Falcons are followed by Montana State Billings with 18 points. Rounding out the poll is Northwest Nazarene and Saint Martin's with 11 points each.
 
Here is a look at the complete 2021 GNAC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll:
 

2021 GNAC PRESEASON MEN'S SOCCER COACHES POLL
Rank	School (1st Place Votes)	2019 Record (Finish)	Points
1.	Simon Fraser (4)	11-4-1 (8-3-1, 2nd)	34
2.	Western Washington (2)	13-5-1 (10-1-1, 1st)	31
3.	Seattle Pacific	7-9-1 (6-6-0, 3rd)	21
4.	Montana State Billings	8-9-2 (5-6-1, 4th)	18
5.	Northwest Nazarene	7-11-0 (3-9-0, 7th)	11
	Saint Martin's	9-8-2 (4-7-1, 5th)	11
Votes awarded on 6-5-4-3-2-1 basis

 2021 SEASON RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER
The WWU Men's Soccer team reports to campus this Sunday, and will hold its first official fall practice on Monday at Harrington Field. The Vikings are scheduled to have three preseason exhibition games prior to opening the 2021 season with a Northern California road trip to face West Region rivals Chico State (Sept. 2) and Sonoma State (Sept. 4) in non-conference play. The complete 2021 WWU Men's Soccer schedule can be viewed online at WWUVikings.com/21_MSOC.
  Head Coach: Greg Brisbon (9^th season, 68-45-19/.587)
Assistant Coaches: Kyle Segebart, Kyle Langowski, Matt Zigulis

• 2019 Overall Record: 13-5-1
• 2019 GNAC Record (Finish): 10-1-1 (1^st)  
• 2021 Spring Record: 3-1-1
• Letterwinners Returning: 23                                              
• Starters Returning/Lost: 10/1

Returning Starters: Alessandro Tomasi (So., Forward, 2 goals, in 2021 spring season), Camron Miller (Sr., Defender, starting centerback, First Team All-GNAC in 2019), Gus Diehl (Jr., Midfield, Second Team All-GNAC in 2019), Brandon Locke (So., Goalkeeper, Second Team All-GNAC in 2019, Second Team All-West Region in 2019), Teagan Eldridge (Jr., Defender, Honorable Mention All-GNAC in 2019), Alex Whiting, Sr., Forward, Drew Farnsworth (Sr., Midfield, Honorable Mention All-GNAC in 2019), Theo Steinmetz (So., Defender, started all 5 matches during spring season).
 
Other Key Returners: Iakov Shmelev (Sr., Defender), Dakota Stamnes (Jr., Midfield), Johan Espinoza (Jr., Forward), Mitchell Hutter (Fr., Defender).
 
Key Losses: Georg Cholewa (4-year starter at midfield, three-time All-GNAC award winner)
 
Key Freshmen Newcomers: Hatcher Manning (Fr., Forward, Alaska Gatorade State Player of the Year), Lucas Hakamada (Fr., Midfield), Kaydin Wall (Fr., Midfield, played 4 matches during spring season), Eric Bunnell (Fr., Forward, played 5 matches during spring season).
 
Key Transfers: Patrick Restum (Jr., Goalkeeper, Northern Michigan), Alec Zimmerman (So., Midfield/Forward, Evergreen State), Tyler Hughes (Jr., Forward, Grand Canyon)
  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 enters 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 43 GNAC All-Academic selections over the last four years and the program has earned three consecutive United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Awards.