BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Coming off a two-win week at home, the Western Washington University women's soccer team heads back on the road opening a four-game road trip playing Montana State Billings and Simon Fraser.

 

The Vikings are 5-3-3 overall, posting a 3-1-3 record over their last seven games, and in second place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings with 11 points at 3-1-2. WWU hits the midway point in the conference schedule Thursday at MSUB (4 pm MT/3 pm PT) and opens the second half Saturday night on Burnaby Mountain taking on Simon Fraser (6 pm).

 

WWU's four-game road trip features games in three states (Montana, Washington, Idaho) and one province (British Columbia), before setting back home at Harrington Field for the final four games of the regular season. The GNAC Championships will be played November 9-11 in Ellensburg, with the top four teams in the conference standings battling for the postseason GNAC title.

 

The Vikings are led by a strong defensive display ranking second in the GNAC with a 0.82 goals against average and a conference-leading six shutouts. Over the last seven games (3-1-3) Western has allowed just three goals.

 

The complete 2023 schedule can be viewed online via wwuvikings.com/23_WSOC with direct links on how to follow the team on the road and how to purchase tickets online.

 

 

The Vikings (5-3-3, 3-1-2 GNAC) complete the first half of the 14-match GNAC schedule Thursday at Montana State Billings and open the second half Saturday night at Simon Fraser. With eight regular-season matches remaining on the schedule, Western will play four consecutive road games, followed by four consecutive home games at Harrington Field. The complete 2023 schedule can be viewed online via wwuvikings.com/23_WSOC.

 

WWU has only one defeat over its last seven games going 3-1-3 during this stretch dating back to September 18. Coming off a 2-0 week in conference play at home defeating Central Washington 1-0 and Northwest Nazarene 2-1. Earned three points vs. NNU on an own goal with just 24 seconds remaining in the match. The Vikings are in second place in the GNAC standings with a 3-1-2 record (11 points).

 

The Vikings embark on a four-game road trip beginning this week, featuring four games in three different states (Montana, Idaho, Washington) and one province (British Columbia). Following the road trip, the Vikings will settle into Harrington Field to play the final four games of the regular season in Bellingham.

 

WWU has eight regular season games remaining on the schedule, all in GNAC play. The top four teams in the conference standings at the end of the regular season will qualify for the GNAC Championships held November 9-11 in Ellensburg, Washington. The Vikings are the defending conference tournament champions.

 

Here is a look at the series history between the Vikings and upcoming opponents:

 

• MSU Billings: WWU leads the all-time series vs. MSUB 27-3-2 with a 19-game winning streak dating back to the 2012 season…20-game unbeaten streak vs. the Yellowjackets (19-0-1)…11-2-0 all-time vs. the Yellowjackets in games played in Billings…posted five consecutive shutouts against MSUB, out-scoring the Yellowjackets 20-0 during this stretch.
• Simon Fraser: Defeated SFU 2-0 in the GNAC opener for both teams Sept. 21 at Harrington Field…WWU has won 24 consecutive matches vs. the Red Leafs and unbeaten over the last 28 meetings (26-0-2)…Vikings lead the all-time series 36-17-3.

 

Here is a look at Western's record breakdown for the 2023 season:

 

 

News and notes on the 2023 WWU Women's Soccer team:

 

• The Record – 5-3-3 overall record with three of 11 matches vs. top-25 teams.
• GNAC Table – 2nd GNAC standings with 11 points (3-1-2).
• Home Cooking – Undefeated in five home games (4-0-1) at Harrington Field…1-3-2 on the road.
• Spreading the Wealth – Viking goals this season have come from six different players – Mie Cairns, Gracen Crosby, Minji Rauch, Sophie Bearden Croft (2), Jayden Nguyen and Morgan Manalili…also two own goals.
• Full Time Asia – Sophomore defender Asia Hardin has played 975 out of a possible 1000 minutes this season (10 games of FT action)…appeared in 35 career games (out of 36 possible), playing the full 90 in 34 games.
• Tie Games – Have recorded three draws this season, tied for 6th-most in a single season in program history.
• National Champions – 2016 and 2022 NCAA II National Champions and national runner-up in 2019.
• GNAC Title – Won 9th GNAC regular-season title in 2022, which includes eight in last 10 seasons…also won sixth GNAC Tournament title.
• Estera Suffers Injury – Senior Estera Levinte has tallied 48 career points, with 15 goals and 18 assists (tie for 24th in WWU history)…ranks tied for 12th in WWU history with 18 assists…senior suffered early-season knee injury and is out for an undetermined amount of time.
• Leading Goal Scorer – Sophomore Morgan Manalili led the Vikings with 10 goals and 25 total points last season while being selected as the GNAC Freshman of the Year and All-American…has one goal this season.
• Henninger's Clean Sheets – Senior goalkeeper Claire Henninger recorded 11 shutouts last season to rank 5th in NCAA Division II…entered WWU single-season record books tying for 4th-most shutouts…16 career shutouts to rank 10th in program history.
• Harrington Success – Owns all-time 83-5-6 all-time playing at the on-campus facility that debuted in 2014 (.915).
• Always Dancing – Advanced to each of the last 10 NCAA Division II Championships and played in seven consecutive West Regional title matches (9 in last 10 seasons)…all-time record of 44-11-3 in the postseason (GNAC + NCAA).
• Roster Breakdown – The 2023 roster features 28 players, with 19 from Washington, six from Oregon, two from California and one from Arizona…eligibility wise, the roster has five freshmen, eight sophomores, seven juniors and eight seniors.
• The Gaffer – Travis Connell is in his 21st season leading the WWU Women's program (28th at WWU)…owns an all-time 304-83-40 (.759) as the Western women's head coach…owns 427 career wins including time with WWU men's soccer…selected as 2022 GNAC Coach of the Year (his 7th award).

 

In addition to winning the national title in 2016 and 2022, the Vikings have played in seven consecutive West Regional Championship matches and nine of the last 10. WWU has won the West Regional title five times (2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2022).

 

Here is a look at the updated GNAC standings heading into the fourth week of conference play:

 

 

Since Harrington Field debuted on the south edge of the WWU campus in 2014, the Vikings are 83-5-6 (.915) playing in front of the home crowd (4-0-1 in 2023, 9-1-1 in 2022). The Vikings are 13-2-0 at Harrington Field in postseason play, hosting NCAA games in 2014 (0-1-0), 2015 (3-0-0), 2016 (1-0-0), 2017 (1-0-0), 2019 (2-0-0), 2021 (1-0-0) and 2022 (3-0-0), and GNAC Championships games in 2016 (1-0-0) and 2021 (1-1-0). Including the men's program, WWU Soccer has a combined record of 128-27-18 (.792) at Harrington Field.

 

The complete 2023 WWU Women's Soccer schedule can be viewed online at wwuvikings.com/23_WSOC and single-game tickets can also be purchased online via wwuvikings.com/Tickets. New for the 2023-24 season for all intercollegiate sports will be FREE STUDENT TICKETS at all regular-season home events!

 

Here is a look at the Vikings 2023 schedule and results:

 

 

The Vikings have made 10 consecutive trips to the NCAA Division II Championships and 12 overall appearances in the NCAA postseason in program history. WWU is the two-time NCAA II National Champion, winning titles in 2016 and 2022, while also playing in the national championship game in 2019. Western is 5-0 all-time in national quarterfinal games and 3-2 in national semifinal contests. The program owns an all-time 28-9-1 record in NCAA Championships play, winning at least one game in 10 of 12 trips to the NCAA postseason. WWU was crowned national champion in 2016 with a 24-0-1 record, capped by a 3-2 victory over Grand Valley State in Kansas City, Missouri, and earned a second star with a 2-1 win over West Chester to cap the 2022 season in Seattle.

 

Advanced to play in its fifth NCAA Division II Championships Final Four in 2022 with all coming in the last nine seasons (since 2013). WWU appeared in the national semifinal round in 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2022 (no championships in 2020). Additionally, the Vikings have played in the West Regional championship game in seven consecutive seasons and nine of the last 10 seasons. Here is a look at the most appearances in the NCAA D2 Final Four since the Vikings made their first appearance in 2013, with WWU trailing only Grand Valley State:

 

• Grand Valley State - 7
• Western Washington - 5
• Columbus State - 3
• Bridgeport & Saint Rose - 2

 

WWU has won 126 of its last 160 games dating back to the start of the 2016 national championship season, going 126-19-15 (.834) during this stretch. The program has won eight of the last 10 GNAC regular-season titles (last in 2022), five of the last seven GNAC Tournaments (last in 2022) and advanced to the NCAA Championships in each of the last 10 seasons. During the 10-year stretch of consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, WWU has reached the West Regional Championship match nine times and advanced to the NCAA II national semifinals five times (2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2022). Western has a current streak of 19 consecutive winning seasons for one of the top-10 longest active streaks in NCAA II.

 

WWU head coach Travis Connell recorded his milestone 300th victory while leading the women's program with the 2-0 season-opening victory over Biola, a span that includes 21 seasons. Connell has combined to go 304-83-40 since taking over the program in 2003, and also has another 125 wins for 429 total WWU head coaching wins including his time spent as the head men's soccer coach at Western.

 

Travis Connell is in his 21st season leading the women's program as head coach and 28th overall as a coach at WWU. Owns a 304-83-40 (.759) record leading the women's program to rank as the 7th-winningest active coach amongst NCAA Division II head coaches. Overall, he is 10th among all-time winningest NCAA Division II coaches, with a minimum of 10 years as a head coach at a DII school. Connell recorded his 300th win leading the women's program on August 31, 2023 in a 2-0 victory over Biola, and including 125 wins as the head coach of the men's soccer program at WWU, Connell has amassed 429 career NCAA head coaching victories. He is assisted by former Viking standout goalkeeper Jamie Arthurs, Johann Lahud-Zahner and Alex McBeath.

 

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 10 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Championships and a pair of national championships in 2016 and 2022. WWU has advanced to the NCAA II Final Four in five of the last nine seasons and played for the West Region championship in nine of the last 10 seasons (seven consecutive). The Vikings won the 2022 title with a 2-1 win over No. 1 nationally-ranked West Chester, 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. The program has claimed eight of the last 10 Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular-season titles (2022 Champions) and won five of the last seven GNAC Tournament titles (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022). Head coach Travis Connell is in his 21st season leading the program in 2023 (28th overall at WWU) and has led the Vikings to 12 trips to the NCAA Championships (10 straight) and 19 consecutive winning seasons. Over the last nine seasons (since 2015), the Vikings have combined for a 147-21-16 record (.842 winning pct.).