BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Having completed one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation, the No. 8 nationally-ranked Western Washington University women's soccer team opens play this week with a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference matches.

 

The Vikings take an undefeated 3-0-2 record into conference clashes on the road at Simon Fraser on Thursday (5 pm, Burnaby, BC) and host Western Oregon on Saturday at Harrington Field (2 pm).

 

WWU is coming off a 1-0-1 weekend defeating Biola 1-0 and earning a draw against No. 22 Point Loma 1-1 on Monday. 

 

The Vikings enter conference play predicted to finish 2nd in the annual GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll behind Seattle Pacific and will be aiming for eighth regular-season league title in the last nine seasons.

 

The 14-match GNAC schedule features seven home matches and seven on the road. Beginning with Saturday's match vs. Western Oregon, the Vikings will play a stretch of seven of nine games at home and then finish the regular season with four consecutive road games.

 

WWU's 19-match regular-season schedule can be viewed online at wwuvikings.com/21_WS.

 

 

Western is listed No. 8 in the current United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II Poll, the second consecutive week they have had that national ranking (moved up No. 18 the previous week). WWU has now been listed in 67 consecutive national polls dating back to the middle of the 2014 season, with 29 weeks as a top-5 team.

 

Here is a look at the series history between the Vikings and the two upcoming opponents:

 

• Simon Fraser: WWU leads the all-time series 30-17-3, which dates back to the first meeting in 1986…the Vikings have an 18-game winning streak vs. SFU and a 22-game unbeaten streak (last loss in 2005)…16-0-2 vs. SFU in GNAC contests…allowed only two goals against SFU in last 21 meetings.
• Western Oregon: WWU leads the all-time series 38-6-1, dating back to first meeting in 1997…current 8-game winning streak and 11-game unbeaten streak (10-0-1) going back to 2013 season…defeated WOU 3-0 last spring in a neutral-site game in Vancouver, WA.

 

WWU has built a 85-15-9 record away from Bellingham over the last 10 seasons (since 2012), which includes a 62-11-6 road record and a 23-4-3 mark in neutral-site games. The Vikings will play nine of 19 games on the road in 2021 (1-0-1 so far this season).

 

Since Harrington Field debuted on the south edge of the WWU campus in 2014, the Vikings are 62-2-4 (.941) playing in front of the home crowd. WWU has a current 27-game unbeaten streak (24-0-3) at Harrington Field dating back to the end of the 2017 season (last home loss - Oct. 28, 2017 vs. Concordia). Including the men's program, WWU's soccer teams have a combined record of 93-21-13 at Harrington Field (.783 winning percentage) since the on-campus facility debuted.

 

Katie Watt (Defense) and Tera Ziemer (Offense) swept the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Players of the Week for games played September 13-19. Ziemer earned the offensive award after scoring the game-winning goal in the 1-0 win over Biola on Saturday and Watt received defensive honors leading the stalwart back line not allowing a shot on goal.

 

The Vikings are the two-time defending GNAC regular-season champions (2018 & 2019) and have raised the conference trophy seven times in the last eight seasons. WWU won five consecutive titles from 2012-16 and again in 2018 to add to the 2008 league championship. The Vikings have also won four of the seven conference tournament titles.

 

Fans are allowed to watch the games inside the venue at Harrington Field. Due to state of Washington and WWU policy, face coverings/masks are required for all fans and social distancing in the stands is encouraged. Tickets will be on sale to the general public beginning one hour prior to kickoff at the Harrington Field Box Office (General - $8, Kids/Seniors - $5) and free parking is available in the C lots on the south edge of the WWU campus.

 

Junior midfielder Tera Ziemer, a transfer from Texas A&M that made 44 appearances in two seasons for the Aggies, leads the Vikings (and the GNAC) scoring four goals. Here three game-winning goals rank 4th in NCAA Division II.

 

The Viking defense opened the season with back-to-back shutouts for the second consecutive fall championship season, logging three consecutive shutouts to open the 2019 season. Through the first five games, WWU has allowed only two goals in 490 minutes for a .367 goals against average to rank 2nd in the GNAC and 18th in NCAA II.

 

The Vikings calling card in recent years has been a strong defense. Over the last 10 seasons the program has combined for a .451 goals against average, including a NCAA-leading mark of 0.341 in 2019. Since 2012, the Vikings have posted a shutout in 126 of the last 197 games (64.0%) while going 166-18-13 (.876). Senior All-American goalkeeper Natalie Dierickx has recorded 24 career shutouts (4th in WWU history) and owns an all-time program record of 46 wins in net (46-6-4).

 

News and notes on the 2021 WWU Women's Soccer team:

 

• The Record – 3-0-2 on the season with a 2-0-1 record at home, and 1-0-1 on the road (1-0-0 neutral).
• Harrington Success – Current 27-game unbeaten streak at Harrington Field (24-0-3) and 62-2-4 all-time playing at the on-campus facility that debuted in 2014 (.941 winning pct).
• Shutouts – Recorded three shutouts in five games…recorded 18 shutouts in 26 games in 2019 and 4 in 7 games during 2021 spring season.
• Second Half Viks – Scored three of six goals in the second half, including the game-winner in the 87th minute vs. No. 5 Sonoma State (by Ziemer).
• Corners – Holds a 38-18 advantage over opponents in corner kicks through five games.
• Ziemer Goals – Tera Ziemer (Texas A&M transfer) has scored four goals to lead the GNAC (3 game-winners).
• Levinte Not Shy – Estera Levinte has assisted on three of six goals…leads the team with 20 shots.
• Winner in Goal – All-American goalkeeper Natalie Dierickx has recorded 46 career wins, most in program history…24 shutouts are 4th-most by a WWU goalkeeper and 6th-most among active NCAA II players…current active leader in NCAA II with career 0.45 goals against average.
• Another All-American – Grace Eversaul was a Third Team All-American by D2CCA in 2019…also a two-time First Team All-GNAC selection…with her next goal will become the 21st player in program history to reach the 20-goal milestone…with 8 assists has 46 total points, tied for 27th in program history.
• Dependable Doyle – Darby Doyle has appeared in 81 career games, currently tied for 18th in program history.
• Always Dancing – Advanced to each of the last eight NCAA Division II Championships, and played in the West Region title match in six of the last seven seasons (four regional titles).
• GNAC Champions – Won both the GNAC regular-season and conference tournament titles in 2019, the 8th regular-season title and 5th tournament title in program history.
• National Champions – 2016 NCAA II National Championship with a 24-0-1 record…also national runner-up finish in 2019 (23-3-0).
• The Gaffer – Travis Connell is in his 19th season leading the WWU Women's program (26th at WWU), and owns an all-time 268-73-32 (.761) as the Western women's head coach…6th among active NCAA II head coaches with a .761 winning percentage…owns 393 career wins including time with WWU men's soccer.
• Roster Breakdown – The 2021 roster features 33 players, with 26 from Washington, three from Oregon, two from California, one from Colorado and one from North Dakota.

 

Senior goalkeeper Natalie Dierickx was the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week for games played September 6-12. Dierickx recorded six saves in a 2-1 victory over No. 5 nationally-ranked Sonoma State. The award was the fifth GNAC weekly honor for Dierickx in her career, tying former All-American forward Gabriela Pelogi (2015-18) for the most in WWU history. Dierickx ranks 7th in WWU history with 148 career saves and is WWU's all-time leader in goalkeeper wins with a 45-6-3 record between the pipes. She is also the NCAA Division II active leader with a 0.45 goals against average.

 

The Vikings played an abbreviated seven-match schedule during the spring season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, going 4-1-2 with all four wins coming against conference foes. The Vikings return 28 letterwinners and 10 starters from the roster last spring.

 

All WWU home games (and most road games) will stream live online with the direct links available at WWUVikings.com/Live. Games at Harrington Field will feature an HD webcast on WWU's YouTube channel. For easy access, each WWU Women's Soccer game will feature a URL redirect that will send you right to the current game, so bookmark the following links:

 

• Webcast – wwuvikings.com/WS_Watch
• Live Stats – wwuvikings.com/WS_Stats

 

The 2021 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Championships will be held at Harrington Field in Bellingham, with games played November 11 and 13. The top four teams in the GNAC table at the end of the regular season will qualify for the postseason tournament, with the winner receiving the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. This marks the first time WWU will be officially hosting the three-game tournament in the nine-year history of the championships, but Harrington Field did serve as the site of the championship game in 2016 after the planned title match was fogged out in Burnaby, BC. WWU is the defending GNAC Tournament champions winning the title in 2019, and is 13-1-2 all-time in the conference championship event. The Vikings have won five of the eight tournament titles (2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019) and advanced to the tournament final all eight seasons.

 

The Vikings entered the 2021 season tied for 25^th in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Coaches Poll and picked No. 2 in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll. Here is a look at the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll:

 

 

The Vikings have made eight consecutive trips to the NCAA Division II Championships and 10 overall appearances in the NCAA postseason. WWU played for the national title in 2019 and are 2-2 all-time in national semifinal contests. The program owns an all-time 22-8-1 record in NCAA Championships play (5-1 in 2019), winning at least one game in 8 of the 10 trips to the NCAA postseason. WWU was crowned national champions after in 2016 with a 24-0-1 record, capped by a 3-2 victory over Grand Valley State in Kansas City, Missouri.

 

WWU has won 90 of its last 106 games dating back to the start of the 2016 national championship season, going 90-9-7 (.882) during this stretch. The program has won seven of the last eight GNAC regular-season titles (including 2019), four of the last five GNAC Tournaments and advanced to the NCAA Championships in each of the last eight seasons. During the eight-year stretch of consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, WWU has reached the West Regional Championship match seven times and advanced to the NCAA II national semifinals four times (2013, 2015, 2016, 2019). Western has a current streak of 17 consecutive winning seasons the 7th-longest active streak in NCAA II.

 

Travis Connell is in his 19th season leading the women's program as head coach and 26th overall as a coach at WWU. Owns a 268-73-32 (.761) record leading the women's program to rank as the 5th-winningest active coach amongst NCAA Division II head coaches. Overall he is 10th among all-time winningest NCAA Division II coaches, with a minimum of 10 years as a head coach at a DII school. Connell recorded his 250^th win leading the women's program on October 24, 2019 vs. Seattle Pacific, and including wins as the head coach of the men's soccer program at WWU, Connell has amassed 393 career NCAA head coaching victories. He is assisted by former Viking standouts Claire Morgan and Jamie Arthurs, and Johann Lahud-Zahner.

 

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).