BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University men's soccer team defeated Saint Martin's University 4-3 in a thrilling back-and-forth Great Northwest Athletic Conference match Saturday evening under the lights at Harrington Field.

 

The game combined for seven goals by seven different players, with Saint Martin's scoring three game-tying goals and the No. 11 nationally-ranked Vikings putting home the game-winner in the 84th minute. Albin Jonsson (10'), Johan Espinoza (41'), Joar Tidblom (60') and Mitchell Hutter (84') all scored goals for the Vikings.

 

WWU remained in a first-place tie on top of the GNAC table with 12 points at 4-1-0, avenging its first loss of the season Thursday at Simon Fraser with Saturday's 4-3 victory over the Saints. Western is 8-1-3 overall and undefeated at 5-0-3 at home this season.

 

The Vikings earned the series sweep of Saint Martin's, also defeating the Saints 5-2 in the GNAC opener for both schools earlier in the season in Lacey. The Saints had their three-game unbeaten streak snapped falling to 2-8-2 overall and 2-3-1 overall. SMU was coming off a scoreless tie Thursday vs. Seattle Pacific and was named the GNAC Team of the Week last week after scoring eight goals in a pair of conference wins.

 

Western held a 23-14 advantage in shots, with each team tallying seven shots on goal. The Vikings also held a slight 7-6 edge in corners. 

 

WWU got on the board first early in the 10th minute when Albin Jonsson netted his GNAC-leading seventh goal of the season. Kaydin Wallkeyed the play intercepting a SMU throw-in which was controlled by Andrew Rotter and pushed up to Eric Bunnell down the left side of the field. Bunnell took a touch and threaded a perfect through-ball behind the Saint Martin's defense. Jonsson held up to remain on sides, then made a move around the Saints goalkeeper and slotted home his shot to an open goal from 8-yards out.

 

The Saints equalized in the 31st minute. Angel Alvarado-Fajardo started the scoring play with a long throw-in that was flicked on via header by David Settle to Ethan Jud deep inside the box. Jud looked to possess the ball via a handball, but the play continued and the reigning GNAC Offensive Player of the Week fired a close-quarters shot for his sixth goal of the season.

 

With just under five minutes remaining in the first half, the Vikings went back ahead on a free kick goal from Johan Espinoza. After the Vikings gained possession following their own corner kick and a Saints foul, an injury in the box stopped the clock. One the restart from just outside the left edge of the 18-yard box, Espinoza fired a low curling show that touched off the diving goalkeepers hands, off the post and trickled into the goal.

 

The Saints again answered with an early second-half goal on a converted penalty kick by Diego Andrade. SMU drew a foul in the box by Wall on Andrade, and Andrade slotted his shot into the lower right corner.

 

Less than six minutes after the equalizer, the Vikings pulled back ahead 3-2 on a set-piece goal by defender Joar Tidblom in the 60th minute. Senior Teagan Eldridge arched a high corner kick to the far post, with Tidblom working behind the SMU defense and heading home his first goal as a Viking.

 

For the third time in the game the Saints found the equalizer, this time Settle found himself alone in the middle of the box and calmly headed home the goal at the 77:20 mark.

 

WWU forged back ahead for the final time with 6:30 remaining in the contest on a game-winning goal by junior defender Mitchell Hutter. Senior defender Danny Fazio sent a perfectly-placed cross towards the far post connecting with a leaping Hutter on the edge of the six-yard box for the game-winning goal.

 

The Vikings allowed a season-high three goals with senior goalkeeper Patrick Restum recording four saves.

 

The Vikings (8-1-3, 4-1-0 GNAC) are back in action next week with a road game at Western Oregon on Thursday in Monmouth, Oregon (1:30 pm) and host Northwest Nazarene on Saturday at Harrington Field (7 pm). The complete 2022 schedule can be viewed online via wwuvikings.com/22_MSOC.

 

#20 Western Washington 4, Saint Martin's 3

Date: October 8, 2022

Field: Harrington Field   Site: Bellingham, WA

Attendance: 475

 

Goals by period               1  2    Tot

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

Saint Martin's..............  1  2  -  3

#20 Western Washington......  2  2  -  4

 

SCORING SUMMARY:

1.        9:04     WWU     Jonsson (Bunnell, A. Rotter)

2.       30:34     SMU     Jud (Settle, Alvarado-Fajardo)

3.       40:32     WWU     Espinoza (Free Kick)

4.       53:58     SMU     Andrade (Penalty Kick)

5.       59:46     WWU     Tidblom (Eldridge)

6.       77:20     SMU     Settle (Andrade)

7.       83:30     WWU     Hutter (Fazio)

 

Shots: WWU 23, SMU 14

Shots on Goal: WWU 7, SMU 7

Saves: WWU 4 (Restum – 4), SMU 3 (Mueller - 3)

Corners: WWU 7, SMU 6

Fouls: SMU 12, WWU 10

Offsides: WWU 1, SMU 1

Kits: WWU (Light Blue), SMU (Black)

Records: WWU (8-1-3, 4-1-0), SMU (2-8-2, 2-3-1)

 

WWU earned the series sweep over Saint Martin's, adding tonight's 4-3 victory to the 5-2 road win in the GNAC opener on September 22 in Lacey…Vikings now lead the all-time series 23-7-2 with a current 7-game winning streak and 9-game unbeaten streak (8-0-1)…WWU is 14-1-1 all-time vs. the Saints in home games including an updated 7-1-1 mark at Harrington Field.

 

WWU will play one road match and one home contest next week, traveling to play at Western Oregon on Thursday (1:30 pm in Monmouth) and hosts Northwest Nazarene on Saturday at Harrington Field (7 pm). The complete 2022 schedule can be viewed online via wwuvikings.com/22_MSOC.

 

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 8-1-3 on the season and 4-1-0 in GNAC following Saturday's home victory over Saint Martin's:

 

 

Here is a look at the GNAC table and how the conference's seven teams have fared through competition on Saturday. WWU it tied atop the standings with Northwest Nazarene at 4-1-0 in league play:

 

 

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 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.