BILLINGS, Mont. – The Western Washington University men's soccer team scored a goal in each half to record a 2-0 shutout road victory over Montana State Billings University Thursday afternoon at Yellowjacket Field.

 

The Vikings improved to 11-2-3 overall and remained in the hunt for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title moving to 7-2-0 on the season in league play. Receiving votes in this week's United Soccer Coaches Poll and ranked No. 8 in the NCAA II Super-Region 4 poll, the Vikings 11 wins are tied for eighth-most in program history.

 

WWU recorded its GNAC-leading ninth shutout of the season to tie the single-season program record, matching the nine clean sheets by the 2001 squad. 

 

After holding off early pressure by MSUB, the Vikings struck first in the 28th minute (27:47) when junior defender Mitchell Hutter played a long ball behind the MSUB defense. Andrew Rotter controlled the ball and slotted his low shot into the center of the goal to give the Vikings the early lead.

 

Leading 1-0 at the half, the Vikings played add-on pushing across a second goal less than seven minutes into the second stanza. Lucas Hakamada fed the ball to Kaydin Wall, who fired a cross through the box where Eric Bunnell one-timed it home for his second goal of the season.

 

Western held a 13-11 edge in shots and had a 7-2 advantage in shots on goal. Senior goalkeeper Patrick Restum made a pair of saves for his GNAC-leading eighth shutout of the season, the second-most by a Viking in a season in program history.

 

After winning two of its last three games, MSUB dropped to 4-8-2 overall and 2-5-2 in GNAC play.

 

The Vikings (11-2-3, 7-2-0 GNAC) remain on the road taking on rival Seattle Pacific University Saturday night at Interbay Stadium (7 pm). The complete 2022 schedule can be viewed online via wwuvikings.com/22_MSOC.

 

Western Washington 2, MSU Billings 0

Date: October 27, 2022

Field: Yellowjacket Field   Site: Billings, MT

Attendance: 102

 

Goals by period               1  2    Tot

-----------------------------------------

Western Washington..........  1  1  -  2

MSU Billings................  0  0  -  0

 

SCORING SUMMARY:

1.       27:47     WWU     A. Rotter (Hutter)

2.       51:34     WWU     Bunnell (Wall, Hakamada)

 

Shots: WWU 13, MSUB 11

Shots on Goal: WWU 7, MSUB 2

Saves: WWU 2 (Restum – 2), MSUB 5 (Campagnolo – 5)

Corners: WWU 4, MSUB 1

Fouls: WWU 9, MSUB 8

Offsides: WWU 7, MSUB 1

Kits: WWU (Navy), MSUB (Yellow/White)

Records: WWU (11-2-3, 7-2-0), MSUB (4-8-2, 2-6-2)

 

Defeated MSUB in the first of two meetings over the final two weeks of the season. WWU is now 22-11-3 all-time vs. MSUB with a current six-game undefeated streak (4-0-2). Vikings improved to 7-5-3 all-time in games played in Billings.

 

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

 

 

Here is a look at the Vikings 2022 season schedule and results. WWU is 11-2-3 on the season and 7-2-0 in GNAC following Thursday's 2-0 victory over Montana State Billings:

 

 

Here is a look at GNAC table and how the conference's seven teams have fared following Thursday's games. WWU is alone in 2nd place in the GNAC at 7-2-0 (21 points):

 

 

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 (currently have three ties).

 

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 60 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 71 GNAC All-Academic selections over the last six years.