SPOKANE, Wash. – Senior midfielder
Drew Farnsworth scored on a free kick in the 59
th minute to send the Western Washington University men's soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Gonzaga in a preseason friendly Sunday evening at Luger Field.
WWU held a 5-1 advantage in shots on goal in the exhibition victory, with Farnsworth connecting on the game winner at the 58:59 mark nearly 14 minutes into the second half.
After a scoreless first half, the Vikings scored the go-ahead goal in the 59
th minute when
Farnsworth connected on a free kick goal from the just outside the 18-yard box on the right side. The senior from Auckland, New Zealand hit a low shot around the wall into the right side of the net for the eventual game-winning goal.
The Vikings looked to strike early in the 13
th minute when junior forward
Johan Espinoza fired a shot towards the bottom left, but a Gonzaga defender made a slide on the goal line that prevented the ball going into the net.
Gonzaga held a 10-7 advantage in shots, but had only one on target. WWU had five shots on goal, with Farnsworth applying the pressure with a pair of shots on frame.
Western's junior goalkeeping duo of
Brandon Wolter and
Patrick Restum combined on the shutout facing 10 shots without conceding a goal. Restum, a transfer from Northern Michigan University, made the Vikings lone save stopping a shot in the 61
st minute as the Bulldogs looked to find an immediate equalizer.
The Vikings and Bulldogs played an extra 15-minute scrimmage and held a penalty kick shootout after the regulation game for extra practice.
The defending Great Northwest Athletic Conference champions will wrap up the preseason next Saturday with their final preseason exhibition match traveling to play the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma. There will be no statistics tracked for the game vs. the Loggers.
WWU officially opens the 2021 season Sept. 2-4 with a two-game road trip to Northern California to face West Region rivals Chico State (9/2) and Sonoma State (9/4).
PRESEASON FRIENDLY
Sunday's game vs. Gonzaga is considered a preseason exhibition game with the record or statistics not counting against the 2021 season standings. WWU hosted Peninsula College in a scrimmage Thursday at Harrington Field (results not reported due to NCAA rules) and will travel to play the University of Puget Sound next Saturday in Tacoma.
WHEN IT ALL BEGINS
WWU's official 2021 season opener will be on the road on Thursday, September 2 at Chico State in Chico, California. The Vikings season-opening road trip also includes a West Region showdown against Sonoma State in Rohnert Park on Saturday, September 4. Western's official home opener at Harrington Field is scheduled for Thursday, September 16 hosting Colorado School of Mines. The full 17-match 2021 regular season schedule can be viewed online at
wwuvikings.com/21_MSOC.
QUICK STATS
Western Washington 1, Gonzaga 0 (Fall Friendly Exhibition)
Date: August 22, 2021
Field: Luger Field Site: Spokane, WA
Goals by period 1 2 Tot
-----------------------------------------
Western Washington....... 0 1 - 1
Gonzaga.................. 0 0 - 0
SCORING SUMMARY:
1. 58:59 WWU Farnsworth
Shots: GU 10, WWU 7
Shots on Goal: WWU 5, GU 1
Saves: WWU 0 (Wolter – 0, Restum - 1), GU 4 (Garibay - 3)
Corners: WWU 3, GU 3
Fouls: WWU 15, GU 14
Offsides: GU 1, WWU 0
FOLLOW THE VIKINGS
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.
ABOUT WWU SOCCER
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.
