BELLINGHAM, Wash.  – The Western Washington University men's soccer team continued its strong start to the preseason with a convincing 4-1 victory over Trinity Western University on Thursday at Harrington Field.
 
The Vikings out-shot the Spartans 25-13 with a 16-4 advantage in shots on goal.
 
Sophomore forward Eric Bunnell (Renton, WA/Hazen) led the way for Western with a pair of goals and an assist while logging 43 minutes. He scored both of the Vikings second-half goals over a seven-minute span in the 66th and 72nd minutes.
 
WWU got off to a quick start with sophomore forward Andrew Rotter (Auburn, WA/Saint Mary's College) scoring in the 2nd minute (1:26 mark) off a saved shot from freshman forward Albin Jonsson (Skellefteå, Sweden). Senior Alessandro Tomasi (Bellingham, WA/Squalicum) put the Vikings up 2-00 with a late first-half goal in the 42nd minute.
 
Trinity Western pulled to with a one-goal margin 16 minutes into the second half when Xander Roxburgh scored with a strong shot after a failed clearance inside the box.
 
WWU senior goalkeeper Patrick Restum (Okemos, MI/Northern Michigan) played the full 90 in goal while making three saves.
 
WWU closes out the preseason schedule Saturday (8/20) with a noon match in Vancouver against the University of British Columbia. Picked to finish second in the GNAC, the Vikings officially open the 2022 season August 25 hosting Sonoma State University (7 pm at Harrington Field).
 

Western Washington 4, Trinity Western 1
Preseason Exhibition Match
Date: August 18, 2022
Field: Harrington Field   Site: Bellingham, WA
Attendance: 115

Goals by period              1  2    Tot
-----------------------------------------
Trinity Western............  0  1  -  1
Western Washington.........  2  2  -  4

SCORING SUMMARY:
1.       1:26     WWU     Rotter,A (Jonsson)
2.      41:10     WWU     Tomasi (Bunnell)
3.      61:02     TWU     Roxburgh
4.      65:29     WWU     Bunnell (Eldridge)
5.      71:42     WWU     Bunnell (Fazio)

Shots: WWU 25, TWU 13
Shots on Goal: WWU 16, TWU 4
Saves: WWU 3 (Restum - 3), TWU 11 (Cordeiro - 11)
Corners: WWU 5, TWU 0
Fouls: TWU 13, WWU 8
Offsides: WWU 4, TWU 0
Kits: WWU (Navy), TWU (White)

  The Vikings close out their preseason schedule Saturday with a road exhibition match at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver with kickoff scheduled for 12 pm. The official start to the 2022 season will feature WWU taking on Sonoma State University on August 25 at Harrington Field with kickoff at 7 pm. The complete 2022 schedule can be viewed online via wwuvikings.com/22_MSOC.
  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 completed 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 60 GNAC All-Academic selections over the last five years and the program has earned three consecutive United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Awards.