BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Coming off a week of rest and a solid finish to the non-conference schedule, the Western Washington University men's soccer team returns to action this week opening Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.

 

The Vikings (3-2-1) carry a two-game winning streak – both shutouts – into the start of GNAC play hosting Saint Martin's University on Thursday at Harrington Field (7 pm) and traveling to play defending league champion Northwest Nazarene on Saturday in Nampa, Idaho (4 pm MT).

 

WWU recorded a pair of shutout victories in its last two games, opening the home schedule with a 3-0 blanking of Colorado School of Mines and a 2-0 win against Regis. Sophomore forward Albin Jonsson propelled the Vikings with three goals and both game-winning goals in the two games to earn GNAC Offensive Player of the Week honors. Senior goalkeeper Brandon Locke recorded a pair of shutouts and the defensive backline was stout while not allowing a goal.

 

The Vikings first three weeks of the conference slate features a pair of home games and three road contests. WWU has been picked to finish at the top of the table with the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll listing the Vikings and Simon Fraser as the co-favorites.

 

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.

 

 

WWU last played on Saturday, September 16 with a 2-0 home victory over Regis. The Vikings have rested up with a bye week and started the fall quarter in the classroom this week. 

 

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

 

·         The Record – 3-2-1 overall, 2-0-0 at Harrington Field, 1-2-2 on the road.

·         Harrington Field – 2-0-0 at home this season and 9-1-3 in last 13 games at Harrington Field.

·         Minutes Maestro – Junior midfielder Lucas Hakamada leads WWU's position players with 504 minutes played.

·         In the Net Albin – Sophomore forward Albin Jonsson is tied for the GNAC lead with five goals and has tallied 14 goals in 24 games as a Viking…six career game-winning goals with three this season.

·         Between the Pipes – Senior goalkeeper Brandon Locke has started all six games and played every minute this season…recorded a pair of shutouts to bring his career total to 13 to tie for 4th-most in program history…21 career GK victories are 4th-most in program history.

·         Captains – WWU has a trio of captains this year, seniors Brandon Locke, Theo Steinmetz and Mitchell Hutter.

·         GNAC Preseason Poll – Selected to tie for 1st place in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll with Simon Fraser.

·         Rotter Brothers – Andrew (junior) and Ryan (sophomore) Rotter are brothers…both have started all six games this season with Andrew scoring a pair of goals (1 assist) and Ryan tallying a pair of assists.

·         Free Student Tickets – All home games will offer free admission for current WWU students thanks to a partnership with WECU and The Foundation for WWU & Alumni.

·         The Gaffer – Greg Brisbon is in his 11th season as head coach of the WWU men's program and 23rd associated with Western soccer…owns all-time head coaching record of 90-59-25 (.589).

 

The Vikings open the 12-game GNAC schedule this week, hosting Saint Martin's on Thursday at Harrington Field (7 pm) and then challenging defending conference champion Northwest Nazarene on Saturday in Nampa, Idaho (4 pm MT). WWU remains close to home next week playing host to rival Seattle Pacific in a Thursday night game (10/5, 7 pm) and then crossing the border to play at Simon Fraser (10/7, 6 pm). The Vikings were 8-4-0 in conference play last season placing third.

 

Sophomore forward Albin Jonsson leads the team and is tied for the GNAC lead with five goals through the first six games of the season. Jonsson recorded three goals in the Vikings last two games, including a brace against Regis, and is credited with the game-winning goal in all three of WWU's victories this season. In 24 games as a Viking over the last two seasons, Jonsson has scored 14 goals (6 GW goals) and credited with six assists. The 14 goals are already tied for 17th-most in WWU men's soccer history and 34 points are tied for 20th. 

 

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

 

·         Saint Martin's: Thursday marks the 33rd meeting in the all-time series between the Vikings and Saints, dating back to the first contest in 2007…WWU holds a 23-7-2 record vs. SMU with a 14-1-1 all-time record in home games vs. the Saints…Western has a nine-game unbeaten streak against Saint Martin's (8-0-1) and current seven-game winning streak…WWU beat SMU 5-2 on the road and 4-3 at Harrington Field, scoring nine goals in the two contests.

·         Northwest Nazarene: WWU is 20-9-3 all-time vs. NNU with a 10-6-1 record in games played in Nampa…the Nighthawks have won three of the last four meetings, including a pair of wins last season (2-0 in Bellingham, 2-1 in Nampa).

 

After opening the season with four consecutive road contests, WWU returned home at last for three consecutive games on Harrington Field. The Vikings are off to a 2-0-0 start at Harrington Field this season, blanking opponents 5-0 with a 3-0 victory over Colorado School of Mines and a 2-0 win against Regis. The Vikings were 7-1-3 on the home turf at Harrington Field last season.

 

Senior goalkeeper Brandon Locke has appeared in 35 career games in goal for the Vikings since debuting during the 2019 season. Locke has recorded 13 shutouts to rank tied for 4th in program history (record is 18) and currently has the lowest Goals Against Average (0.73) of any Viking goalkeeper.

 

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

 

 

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 Vikings 2023 regular-season schedule and results:

 

 

WWU will celebrate Latine Heritage Month during the October 5 doubleheader at Harrington Field. The women's team will host Central Washington at 4 pm and the men's game vs. rival Seattle Pacific follows at 7 pm. Free admission for all students with WWU ID and a limited number of complimentary tickets for community members are available. Enjoy fun activities and support fundraising efforts by Latine Student Union and Latinx Men in Higher Education.

 

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.

 

Here is a look at the GNAC schedule and standings heading into the opening week of conference play:

 

 

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.

 

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:

 

 

Since moving home games to Harrington Field on the south edge of campus in 2014, the Vikings have combined to go 44-21-12 for a .649 winning percentage (2-0-0 in 2023, 7-1-3 in 2022). WWU is 27-9-5 at Harrington Field over the last five seasons (since 2018). Combining with the WWU women's team, both programs have combined to go 125-26-18 (.793) 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 eight-season stretch (since 2016) combining to go 65-37-18 (.617) with a 41-19-10 (.657) record in GNAC play. Brisbon owns an all-time head coaching record of 90-59-25 (.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.