BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University men's soccer team heads into the penultimate week of Great Northwest Athletic Conference play in prime position to content for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title.

 

With four games remaining in the regular season, the Vikings are 10-2-3 overall and in second place in the GNAC with a 6-2-0 record for 18 points, one point behind Northwest Nazarene. WWU is receiving votes just outside of the national top 25 and listed amongst the top 12 teams in the Super Region 4 rankings.

 

The Vikings will have a tall task going on the road for three of the final four games of the season, including a stretch of three straight beginning with road contests this week at Montana State Billings (Thursday, 2:30 pm MT) and Seattle Pacific (Saturday, 7 pm). 

 

WWU is coming off a 2-0 shutout victory over border rival Simon Fraser in its last game October 20, the eighth shutout of the season. 

 

The Vikings are a balanced team leading the GNAC in nearly every offensive category including goals (1.73 per game) and has the top defense in the conference with eight shutouts (one off school record) and a 0.87 goals against average.

 

Freshman forward Albin Jonsson continues to pace the conference with 19 points on seven goals and five assists, while contributing a league-leading three game-winning goals. Sophomore forward Andrew Rotter is tied for seventh with 10 points, contributing three goals and four assists. Senior midfielder Dakota Stamnes is tied with Jonsson for the team and league lead (with MSUB's Jeremie Briquet) with five assists.

 

Senior goalkeeper Patrick Restum leads the GNAC with an 0.93 against average and tied for the lead with seven shutouts (tied for 2nd in WWU single-season history, record is 9). Junior center back Mitchell Hutter (1265 minutes) has started all 15 games and been a big contributor to the stalwart defensive effort.

 

Following this week's game at MSUB and SPU, WWU will travel to Nampa, Idaho next week for a showdown with Northwest Nazarene (11/3, 12 pm MT) and closes out the regular season with Senior Day hosting Montana State Billings at Harrington Field (11/5, 7 pm). 

 

The complete 2022 schedule can be viewed online via wwuvikings.com/22_MSOC, with direct links to game coverage, season statistics and program history.

 

 

The Vikings are10-2-3 on the season, marking the 17th time to record double-digits in wins in a season in 42 full seasons in program history, and the fifth in the last nine seasons.

 

Here is a look at the all-time series history between the Vikings and opponents this week:

 

• MSU Billings: Playing the Yellowjackets for the first time this season and will face MSUB twice in the final four games of the regular season…owns an all-time record of 21-11-3 vs. MSUB with a current five-game undefeated streak (3-0-2)…went 1-0-1 vs. MSUB last season, winning 3-1 at home and drawing 1-1 in Billings…6-5-3 all-time in away games vs. the Yellowjackets.
• Seattle Pacific: Defeated SPU 3-1 in game earlier this season at Harrington Field on October 1…WWU is 7-2-4 vs. the Falcons in the last 13 meetings dating back to the start of the 2016 season…SPU leads the all-time series 38-14-10 according to available WWU records.

 

WWU is receiving votes in the eighth regular-season edition of the United Soccer Coaches NCAA II Poll and one of 12 teams listed in the NCAA West Regional Rankings in alphabetical order. In the West Region United Soccer Coaches Poll WWU is No. 4:

 

 

Here is a look at Western's record breakdown for the 2022 season:

 

 

The Vikings have scored 26 goals in 25 games this season to lead the GNAC (1.73 goals per game), with 15 coming in the second half, including six in the 80th minute or later.

 

Freshman forward Albin Jonsson leads the GNAC in scoring, tallying a league-best seven goals and 19 points, also adding five assists (tied with Dakota Stamnes for GNAC/team lead) to his season total. Three of his six seven have been of the game-winning variety this season to tie for the GNAC lead with Simon Fraser's Devin O'Hea. In addition to pacing the GNAC in offensive stats, the native of Skellefteå, Sweden is tied for 21st in NCAA II in game-winning goals, 77th in total goals (7) and 66th in points (19).

 

The 2022 roster features a pair of brothers in sophomore forward Andrew Rotter (transfer from St. Mary's College) and freshman midfielder Ryan Rotter (true freshman out of Auburn Mountainview High School). The Rotter brothers join their older brother, Christian, who starred for the Vikings from 2016-19 appearing in 72 games while totaling 42 points with 13 goals and 16 assists. Andrew and Ryan combined to score both goals in the Vikings 2-0 win last Thursday vs. Simon Fraser.

 

Since moving home games to Harrington Field on the south edge of campus in 2014, the Vikings have combined to go 41-21-12 for a .635 winning percentage (6-1-3 in 2022). WWU is 24-9-5 at Harrington Field over the last five seasons (since 2018). Combining with the WWU women's team, both programs are 116-25-17 (.788) playing at Harrington Field.

 

WWU had an undefeated record through the first 10 games of the season (7-0-3) before droppings its first game 2-1 at Simon Fraser on October 6. Prior to the road loss at SFU the Vikings were one of just eight undefeated programs in NCAA II. It was the best undefeated start to a season in the 43-year history of the program. Here is a look at the best undefeated starts to a season by the WWU men's soccer program:

 

• 2022 (7-0-3) – 10 games
• 1997 (4-0-1) – 5 games
• 1983 (4-0-1) – 5 games
• 2018 (3-0-0) – 3 games
• 1991 (3-0-0) – 3 games
• 1984 (3-0-0) – 3 games
• 2015 (2-0-1) – 3 games
• 2000 (3-0-0) – 3 games

 

WWU has recorded eight shutouts in 15 games this season to lead the GNAC and rank tied for 16th in NCAA Division II. Now just one clean sheet away from tying the all-time program record of nine shutouts set in 2001. The Vikings also lead the GNAC and rank 26th nationally with a 0.867 goals against average.

 

Fifth-year seniors Teagan Eldridge and Gus Diehl will serve as the team captains for the Vikings during the 2022 season. The senior duo has combined to play in 143 matches (Eldridge – 72, Diehl – 71) since arriving in the program as freshman during the 2018 season.

 

Senior co-captains Gus Diehl and Teagan Eldridge are among the program leaders in career games played and are aiming to join the WWU all-time top 10. The current record is 79 games played by Chris Jepson (2004-09) and the record for career starts by a position player is 74 by Drew Farnsworth (2017-21). Diehl has started all 71 games of his career and is on pace to break Farnsworth's record. Here is a look at the current top 15 for career games played by position players in WWU history:

 

 

Here is a look at the Vikings 2022 season schedule and results. WWU is 10-2-3 on the season and 6-2-0 in GNAC heading into the pair of road matches this week at MSUB and SPU:

 

 

Here is a look at GNAC table and how the conference's seven teams have fared heading into the penultimate week of the GNAC season. WWU is alone in second place in the conference with 18 points and a 6-2-0 league mark:

 

 

The WWU men's soccer team continued its academic success with 11 student-athletes earning a spot on the 2022 Great Northwest Athletic Conference All-Academic Team. Seniors Teagan Eldridge and Gus Diehl headlined the 11 selections becoming the first four-time GNAC Academic All-Stars in program history. Eldridge carries a 3.72 GPA as a Physical Education/Health major and Diehl has maintained a 3.94 GPA as he nears completion of his Finance and Accounting degree. Western has now placed at least 10 players on the GNAC All-Academic team in each of the last six years, combining for 71 academic all-conference honors during this stretch beginning in 2017.

There are likely to be a lot of tie games this season with new NCAA soccer rules for 2022 which eliminates overtime during the regular season. Any match that is tied at the 90-minute mark will now end that way, which means no overtime or golden goal scenarios. In the postseason, there will be overtime but no more golden goal; teams will play two full 10-minute extra periods regardless of any goals and if it is still tied, the advancing team will be decided on penalty kicks. Just for kicks, the WWU single-season record for ties is five set in 2017.

 

For the second time this season senior goalkeeper Patrick Restum has been selected as the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week. Restum recorded his seventh shutout of the season in last week's 2-0 win over Simon Fraser, making a pair of saves. The senior from Okemos, Michigan also earned the GNAC defensive award for games played September 12-18. In 14 starts this season, Restum has recorded a GNAC-best 0.93 goals against average and is tied for the conference lead with seven shutouts. Amongst NCAA Division II leaders, Restum ranked 38th nationally in goals against average and tied for 11th in shutouts.

 

In his 10th season as head coach and 22nd associated with WWU soccer, head coach Greg Brisbon returns 16 letterwinners, including seven starters, from the 2021 squad that went 7-8-2 overall and were in contention for the GNAC title until the final game of the season with a 5-3-2 mark in conference play. The Vikings are just one full season removed from playing in the 2019 NCAA Championships and are in the midst of a strong seven-season stretch (since 2016) combining to go 60-33-17 (.623) with a 39-17-10 (.667) record in GNAC play. Brisbon owns an all-time head coaching record of 85-55-24 (.591). He is assisted in 2022 by Matt Zigulis and Kyle Langowski.

 

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).

 

The Western Washington University men's soccer program is led by head coach Greg Brisbon, who has spent over 20 seasons affiliated with WWU Soccer. The Vikings won the 2019 Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship, the third league trophy in program history, and advanced to the NCAA II Championships for the second time. The program is in its 43rd season in 2022 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 60 GNAC All-Academic selections over the last six years.