MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Western Washington University women's soccer team scored three goals for the second consecutive game, including a pair in the second half, to defeat No. 19 nationally-ranked Western Oregon University 3-2 on Saturday in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action.

 

WWU improved to 2-0-0 in GNAC play with the victory, spoiling the Wolves undefeated start to the season to fall to 4-1-1 overall and 1-1-0 in conference play. 

 

The Vikings received goals from junior Payton Neal (40'), sophomore Ashley Nguyen (49') and freshman Claire Potter (77'). 

 

"I am really happy with the result and proud of the team for coming down here a little short-handed and getting a victory against a really good Western Oregon team," said WWU head coach Travis Connell. "To score six goals in a week is great, but even more than that we are creating a lot of chances and putting ourselves in good positions as we continue to figure each other out in the attacking part of the field."

 

The Vikings got on the board first in the 40th minute on a goal by Neal with just over five minutes remaining in the half. After a long kick into WWU territory by goalkeeper Claire Henninger, the Vikings gained possession 10 yards outside the 18-yard box. Senior Dayana Diaz lofted a ball into the box, which was misplayed by the WOU goalkeeper and Neal pounced on the loose ball with a quick right-footed shot for her second career goal.

 

WWU went up 2-0 just over three minutes into the second half. Emily Rice played a ball into the box where Nguyen was making a run and was fouled to draw the penalty. Nguyen stepped up to the spot and calmly placed her right-footed shot to the right of the keeper for her first career goal.

 

WOU pulled to within one goal in the 56th minute when Briana Kubli found the back of the net off a cross from Elizabeth Parker at the 55:32 mark.

 

WWU added to its lead in the 77th minute when Potter took the ball down the left side of the field, cut across towards the 18-yard box and unleashed a shot from 23-yards out while falling down that found the upper right quadrant of the goal for her team-leading third goal of the season.

 

The Wolves wouldn't back down again cutting the deficit to one goal less than three minutes after Potter's score, when Kubli completed the second-half brace in the 80th minute. A long throw-in by Hannah Rispler was headed towards the goal and one-timed on a volley by Kubli.

 

WWU held a 13-8 advantage in shots in the 90-minute contest with a slight 5-4 edge in shots on goal. Junior goalkeeper Claire Henninger made a pair of saves to help lead the Vikings to their second consecutive victory to open conference play. 

 

The Vikings (3-1-2, 2-0-0 GNAC) remain on the road for their next two games in GNAC play traveling to play at Central Washington (1-4-1, 0-2-0 GNAC) on Thursday in Ellensburg and then continue East to face Northwest Nazarene (4-1-1, 2-0-0 GNAC) on Saturday in Nampa, Idaho. Links on how to follow both road games can be found by visiting wwuvikings.com/22_WSOC.

Western Washington 3, Western Oregon 2

Date: September 17, 2022

Field: WOU Soccer Field   Site: Monmouth, OR

Attendance: 103

 

Goals by period              1  2    Tot

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

Western Washington.........  1  2  -  3

#19 Western Oregon.........  0  2  -  2

 

SCORING SUMMARY:

1.      39:38     WWU     Neal

2.      48:17     WWU     A. Nguyen (PK)

3.      55:32     WOU     Kubli (Parker)

4.      76:50     WWU     Potter

5.      79:21     WOU     Kubli (Rispler)

 

Shots: WWU 13, WOU 8

Shots on Goal: WWU 5, WOU 4

Saves: WWU 2 (Henninger – 2), WOU 2 (Holdenried – 2)

Corners: WWU 5, WOU 3

Fouls: WOU 15, WWU 8

Offsides: WWU 3, WOU 1

Kits: WWU (Black), WOU (White)

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

 

WWU improved to 40-6-2 all-time vs. Western Oregon and extended its unbeaten streak against the Wolves to 14 consecutive games (12-0-2) dating back to the 2013 season. The Vikings are now 16-5-2 all-time in road games in Monmouth.

 

The Vikings (3-1-2, 2-0-0 GNAC) remain on the road for a pair of away GNAC contests next week traveling to play Central Washington on Thursday in Ellensburg (3 pm) and Northwest Nazarene in Nampa on Saturday (4 pm MT). Both games will feature a live webcast and statistical updates with direct links online via wwuvikings.com/22_WSOC.

 

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

 

 

Here is a look at the updated records of the eight GNAC programs following the opening weekend of conference play:

 

 

Here is a look at the Vikings 2022 season schedule and results. WWU is 3-1-2 on the season and 2-0-0 in GNAC 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 1981, and most recently four in 2009, 2010 and 2014.

 

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). 

 

The Western Washington University women's soccer program has risen to the top of the Division II ranks, with a string of nine consecutive appearances in the NCAA Championships. WWU has advanced to the NCAA II Final Four in four of the last eight seasons and played for the West Region championship in eight of the last nine seasons (six consecutive). The Vikings played for the 2019 national title and won the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2016 with an undefeated 24-0-1 record, beating three-time defending national champion Grand Valley State 3-2 in the title game in Kansas City, Missouri. Including the national championship run, the Vikings put together a 39-game winning streak (4th-longest in NCAA II history) and a 40-game unbeaten streak. The program has claimed seven of the last nine Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular-season titles and won four of the last five GNAC Tournament titles (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019). Head coach Travis Connell is in his 20th season leading the program in 2022 (27th overall at WWU) and has led the Vikings to 11 trips to the NCAA Championships (9 straight) and 28 consecutive winning seasons. He picked up his 400th career victory October 16, 2021 vs. Simon Fraser. WWU finished the 2019 season with a 23-3-0 record, winning the West Regional title and played in the national championship game falling 1-0 to Grand Valley State. Over the last eight seasons (since 2015), the Vikings have combined for a 126-17-11 (.854) record. WWU's 179 wins during the 2010s decade were the 6^th-most out of 1,043 NCAA women's soccer programs.