BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University men's soccer has high expectations for the 2023 season…and it all begins this week with a pair of key West Region games for the Vikings.

 

WWU takes to the road for the first four games of the 2023 season beginning with a trip to Northern California to face Sonoma State University on Thursday (4 pm) and Chico State University on Saturday (7 pm). The Vikings are coming off a 2-1-0 preseason, defeating UPS (3-0) and Victoria (3-1) and falling by a narrow 1-0 margin against Division I Oregon State.

 

The Vikings head into the 2023 season picked atop the GNAC standings tying with Simon Fraser for the No. 1 spot in the conference preseason coaches poll. Coming off a strong 12-4-3 season and returning a number of key contributors, the Vikings are poised to make another strong run at a postseason berth.

 

Led by 11th-year head coach Greg Brisbon, who has been associated with the WWU soccer program for over 20 years, the Vikings return 15 letterwinners, including five 2022 All-GNAC selections Andrew Rotter, Ryan Rotter, Kyota Hiate, Mitchell Hutter and the conference's scoring leader and Freshman of the Year Albin Jonsson.

 

After playing the first games of the 2023 season in California – also traveling to play CUI and Point Loma during the second week of the season – WWU hosts Colorado School of Mines (Sept. 14) and Regis (Sept. 16) in the Harrington Field openers. The 12-match GNAC schedule opens with a home contest vs. Saint Martin's on September 28.

 

The complete 2023 season schedule – complete with links to follow all the matches, statistics and player bios – can be viewed online at wwuvikings.com/23_MSOC.

 

 

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

 

• Sonoma State: WWU is 3-12-2 all-time against Sonoma State, but has gone 2-2-2 in the last six meetings against the Seawolves…opened last season with a 0-0 draw in Bellingham…Vikings are 1-6-1 all-time on the road in Rohnert Park…SSU head coach Marcus Ziemer is the father of former WWU women's soccer All-American Tera Ziemer.
• Chico State: Vikings are 10-12-0 all-time against Chico State and 3-3-0 dating back to the 2016 season…WWU defeated the Wildcats 1-0 in the second game of last season at Harrington Field…Vikings are 5-6-0 all-time in road games vs. Chico State, winning two of last three at University Stadium.

 

This marks the seventh consecutive season opening with games against Sonoma State and Chico State, combining to go 6-5-1 in the series vs. the CCAA schools dating back to 2016 (3-3 vs. Chico State, 3-2-1 vs. Sonoma State). WWU opened the 2022 season with a scoreless draw vs. Sonoma State and defeated Chico State 1-0 in games played at Harrington Field in Bellingham.

 

The complete 2023 WWU Men's Soccer schedule can be viewed online at wwuvikings.com/23_MSOC 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 complete Great Northwest Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll for the 2023 season with the Vikings listed on top of the table tied with Simon Fraser:

 

 

Here is a look at the Vikings 2023 regular-season schedule heading into the season-opening road trip:

 

 

The Vikings went 12-4-3 last season, marking the 17th time to record double-digits in wins in a season in 42 full seasons in program history, and the fifth in the last nine seasons. The 12 wins tied for 7th-most in program history.

 

The 2023 roster features a pair of brothers in junior forward Andrew Rotter and sophomore midfielder Ryan Rotter. The Rotter brothers join their older brother, Christian, who starred for the Vikings from 2016-19 appearing in 72 games while totaling 42 points with 13 goals and 16 assists.

 

The Vikings are led by three co-captains in 2023 with seniors Brandon Locke, Theo Steinmetz and Mitchell Hutter all taking reigns of team leadership.

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
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The WWU men's soccer team continued its academic success with 11 student-athletes earning a spot on the 2022 Great Northwest Athletic Conference All-Academic Team. Western has now placed at least 10 players on the GNAC All-Academic team in each of the last six years, combining for 71 academic all-conference honors during this stretch beginning in 2017.

 

Since moving home games to Harrington Field on the south edge of campus in 2014, the Vikings have combined to go 42-21-12 for a .640 winning percentage (7-1-3 in 2022). WWU is 25-9-5 at Harrington Field over the last five seasons (since 2018). Combining with the WWU women's team, both programs have combined to go 121-26-17 (.790) playing at Harrington Field.

 

In his 11th season as head coach and 23rd associated with WWU soccer, head coach Greg Brisbon returns 15 letterwinners, including seven starters, from the 2022 squad that went 12-4-3 overall and were in contention for the GNAC title until the final game of the season with an 8-4-0 mark in conference play. The Vikings are just two full seasons removed from playing in the 2019 NCAA Championships and are in the midst of a strong seven-season stretch (since 2016) combining to go 62-35-17 (.618) with a 41-19-10 (.657) record in GNAC play. Brisbon owns an all-time head coaching record of 87-57-24 (.589). He is assisted in 2023 by Chuck Pitts, 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 nine of the last 10 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 63 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 71 GNAC All-Academic selections over the last six years.