BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University men's soccer completed its seven-game non-conference schedule with an undefeated record and the No. 20 nationally-ranked Vikings now turn their attention to the start of Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.

 

WWU is 4-0-3 overall marking the best undefeated start to a season in program history heading into the GNAC opening week with a road contest at Saint Martin's University in Lacey on Thursday (2 pm) and hosting Western Oregon University on Saturday (7 pm) at Harrington Field.

 

The Vikings cracked the national top 25 last week at No. 23 and moved up to No. 20 this week after going 1-0-1 against Concordia University Irvine (W, 2-0) and Point Loma Nazarene University (T, 0-0). WWU is also listed No. 4 in the West Region in the United Soccer Coaches regional rankings.

 

This week's GNAC opening games begin the 12-match conference schedule, which concludes during the first week of November. Three of the Vikings first five GNAC contests will be played at home at Harrington Field.

 

The Vikings 4-0-3 record marks the best undefeated start in the 43-year history of the program, bettering the five-game stretches to open the 1983 and 1997 seasons (both 4-0-1).

 

WWU's undefeated start has showcased a strong defensive effort ranking amongst the national leaders with five shutouts and 0.429 goals against average (9th in NCAA II). The five shutouts are already tied for 15th-most in single-season program history (record is 9 in 2001) and the GAA leads the GNAC. Senior goalkeeper Patrick Restum has recorded all five shutouts allowing only three goals in seven starts, making 23 saves. Freshman Albin Jonsson leads the offense with a GNAC-best eight points (3 goals, 2 assists).

 

Admission to Saturday's 7 pm game vs. Western Oregon will feature free admission for current WWU students as part of Western Welcome Week.

 

The complete 2022 schedule can be viewed online via wwuvikings.com/22_MSOC.

 

 

WWU opens its 21st season affiliated with the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and will kick off the 12-match conference slate Thursday at Saint Martin's. The Vikings own an all-time record of 8-8-4 (.500) in the opening GNAC game of a season dating back to the first year in 2001. WWU is opening GNAC play on the road for the fourth consecutive season (2018, 2019, 2021) and the fifth time in the last six seasons.

 

Senior goalkeeper Patrick Restum has been selected as the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week for games played September 12-18. Restum, a senior from Okemos, Michigan, made seven saves while recording a pair of shutouts during the week with a 2-0 victory over Concordia University Irvine and a 0-0 tie against Point Loma Nazarene. Restum has started all seven games this season recording four shutouts. He leads the GNAC in goals against average (0.43), save percentage (.885) and in shutouts (5). He is tied for the NCAA II national lead with five clean sheets (one of three players) and 12th in goals against average.

 

Here is a look at the current United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II Poll with the Vikings moving up to No. 20 in this week's national rankings:

 

 

WWU is undefeated at 4-0-3 through the first seven games of the 2022 season, marking 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 (4-0-3) – 7 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

 

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

 

 

WWU has recorded five shutouts in seven games to rank in the top five nationally in shutout percentage (tied for 4th) and tied for second in overall shutouts. The Vikings five shutouts trail only six by Colorado-Colorado Springs and tied with UT Tyler, Cal Poly Pomona, Franklin Pierce, Mercy, Mercyhurst and Saint Leo. The .429 goals against average is in the top 10 nationally (9th) and leads the GNAC. Here is a look at the NCAA Division II leaders in Shutout Percentage and 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 have combined to play in 130 matches (Eldridge – 66, Diehl – 64) since arriving in the program as freshman during the 2018 season.

 

 

 

Here is a look at the series history between the Vikings and their opponents this week:

 

• Saint Martin's: WWU leads the all-time series 21-7-2 with a current 5-game winning streak and 7-game unbeaten streak (6-0-1)…8-6-1 all-time in away games vs. the Saints, but has a 3-game winning streak in Lacey…hosts the Saints at Harrington Field on October 8 (13-1-1 all-time in home games vs. SMU).
• Western Oregon: Meeting WOU for the first time in the inaugural season for the program.

 

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.

 

Since moving home games to Harrington Field on the south edge of campus in 2014, the Vikings have combined to go 37-20-12 for a .623 winning percentage. WWU is 20-8-5 at Harrington Field over the last five seasons (since 2018).

 

Here is a look at the early-season GNAC table and how the conference's seven teams have fared leading up to the opening week of conference play:

 

 

Here is a look at the complete Great Northwest Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll for the 2022 season with the Vikings picked to finish 2nd in the GNAC:

 

 

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 51-31-16 (.602) with a 33-15-10 (.655) record in GNAC play. Brisbon owns an all-time head coaching record of 79-53-24 (.583). 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 five years.