BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University women's soccer team received another multiple-goal performance and senior goalkeeper Abigail Trengove recorded nine saves to lead the Vikings to a 2-1 victory over Montana State Billings Thursday evening in front of 643 fans at Harrington Field.

 

WWU improved to 6-2-4 overall and remained unbeaten in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play at 5-0-2 to remain in first place in the standings with 17 points. The Vikings are two points ahead of second-place Seattle Pacific and four in front of Simon Fraser, who WWU will host Saturday night at Harrington Field.

 

"I am very happy with tonight's result. It was great to see Ashley (Nguyen) and Morgan (Manalili) on the scoresheet again," said WWU head coach Travis Connell. "They are rounding into form and when they are scoring it really helps our team."

 

The Vikings got on the scoreboard first at the 22-minute mark when senior forward Ashley Nguyen found the back of the net for the second consecutive game. Junior midfielder Morgan Manalili took a through ball from senior forward Krysten McGuffey near the endline, cut back and found Nguyen in the middle of the 18-yard box. Nguyen found a small window and lined up her shot inside the near post for the goal.

 

MSUB equalized early in the 29th minute when Kendall McGraw scored off assists by Jackie Sharpe and Nyah Attaway.

 

With the game nearing halftime, the Vikings forged ahead in the 43rd minute when Manalili drilled a shot from the top of the D above the 18-yard box. Senior forward Myka Carr dribbled across the top of the 18-yard box finding sophomore Jane Hmura in space inside the box. Hmura took an extra touch and laid the ball off to Manalili who secured the go-ahead goal with a decisive finish into the bottom right corner for her second goal of the season and 18th of her career.

 

Both teams were held off the scoreboard in the second half, but not without six big saves from Trengove to add to her career-high total of nine saves. Twice Trengove – in the 67th and 84th minutes – got a glove to a MSUB shot redirecting a possible goal off the post.

 

Junior defender Asia Hardin and sophomore midfielder Mie Cairns both were key defensive figures in the victory each playing the full 90.

 

MSUB (4-5-2, 1-4-2 GNAC) held a 14-13 edge in total shots and had a 10-4 advantage in shots on goal. Trengove's nine saves were the most by a Viking since All-American Natalie Dierickx also had nine saves twice during the 2018 season.

 

The game was played in front of 643 fans on WFC Rangers Night and there was also a pre-game March to the Match on campus.

 

"Tonight was a great atmosphere at Harrington Field," said Connell. "We live in a special community and the soccer community is like one big family with so many connections. That energy helped lift our team tonight."

 

WWU remains at home Saturday for the second of a four-game homestand entertaining third-place Simon Fraser in a 7 pm game at Harrington Field. The WWU men's team plays Montana State Billings at 4 pm to kick off a Viking Soccer Doubleheader.

 

"Saturday is a big game. These are the ones you want to play in and a good measuring stick for where we are at. We will be ready for it," said Connell.

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
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The Vikings (6-2-4, 5-0-2 GNAC) remain at home continuing a four-game Harrington Field homestand Saturday hosting Simon Fraser with kickoff at 7 pm. The WWU men will open Saturday's Latine Heritage Month Celebration with a 4 pm game vs. Montana State Billings. The complete 2024 schedule can be viewed online via wwuvikings.com/24_WSOC.

 

Western Washington 2, Montana State Billings 1

Date: October 17, 2024

Field: Harrington Field     Site: Bellingham, WA

Attendance: 643

 

Goals by period                 1  2    Tot

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

Montana St. Billings..........  1  0  -  1

Western Washington............  2  0  -  2

 

SCORING SUMMARY:

1.      22:00      WWU       Nguyen (Manalili, McGuffey)

2.      28:01      MSUB      McGraw (Sharpe, Attaway)

3.      42:43      WWU       Manalili (Hmura, Carr)

 

Shots: MSUB 14, WWU 13

Shots on Goal: MSUB 10, WWU 4

Saves: WWU 9 (Trengove – 9), MSUB 2 (Brogdon - 2)

Corners: WWU 4, MSUB 2

Fouls: WWU 9, MSUB 8

Offsides: WWU 0, MSUB 0

Kits: WWU (Navy), MSUB (White)

Updated Records: WWU (6-2-4, 5-0-2), MSUB (4-5-2, 1-4-2)

 

Here is a look at Western's record breakdown for the 2024 season:

 

 

Here is an updated look at the GNAC standings and weekly schedule following Thursday's games to open the fourth week of conference play. Updated conference standings, schedules, results and statistics can be found online at GNACsports.com.

 

 

The Western Washington University soccer programs will host a doubleheader Saturday at Harrington Field to celebrate Latine Heritage Month. Games are scheduled for 4 pm with the Viking men hosting Montana State Billings and 7 pm with the WWU women playing Simon Fraser. The games will serve as a part of the campus celebration of Latine Heritage Month at WWU, with special programming, several clubs tabling at the, prize giveaways and a visit by The Burrito King Taco Truck. The Starting XI for each team will also be read in Spanish and music celebrating Latine Heritage Month will be played prior to and between games.

 

WWU improved to 30-3-2 all-time vs. MSUB while extending its winning streak to 22 consecutive games and unbeaten streak to 23 straight over the Yellowjackets. The Vikings are now 15-1-2 all-time vs. MSUB in home games and perfect at 9-0-0 at Harrington Field.

 

Here is a look at the Vikings 2024 regular-season schedule. The GNAC Championships will be held November 14-16 at Interbay Stadium in Seattle, and the NCAA Division II Championships open with the first and second rounds November 21-24:

 

 

Since Harrington Field debuted on the south edge of the WWU campus in 2014, the Vikings are 89-7-9 (.890) playing in front of the home crowd (3-1-3 in 2024, 7-1-1 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 137-32-24 (.772) at Harrington Field.

 

Fans can follow WWU women's soccer online at WWUVikings.com/WSOC, and via social media on Twitter/X (@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, appearing in the NCAA Championships in 10 of the last 11 seasons and winning a pair of national championships in 2016 and 2022. WWU has advanced to the NCAA II Final Four in five of the last 10 seasons and played for the West Region championship in nine of the last 11 seasons (seven consecutive from 2015-22). The Vikings won the 2022 NCAA Division II National Championship 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 12 Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular-season titles (2022 Champions) and won five of the last eight GNAC Tournament titles (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022). Head coach Travis Connell is in his 22nd season leading the program in 2024 (29th overall at WWU) and has led the Vikings to 12 trips to the NCAA Championships and 19 consecutive winning seasons.