BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The first-place Western Washington University women's soccer team opens a four-game homestand at Harrington Field this week with a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference games.

 

Coming off an impressive offensive outburst that featured nine goals last week, the Vikings carry their undefeated 4-0-2 GNAC record into home contests vs. Montana State Billings on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday, with both games featuring a 7 pm kickoff.

 

Several promotions highlight the pair of home games, with WFC Rangers Night and March to the Match on Thursday, and Latine Heritage Month celebration on Saturday.

 

WWU is 5-2-4 overall and with 14 points is in first place in the GNAC table at 4-0-2. Thursday's match concludes the first half of the 14-game conference schedule. The Vikings are currently receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Division II poll.

 

The Vikings defense has been the mainstay all season ranking second in the GNAC and in the top 35 in the nation with a 0.636 goals against average. After a slow start to the season, the Western offense came alive last week scoring nine goals in road wins over Central Washington (7-1) and Northwest Nazarene (2-0). Senior midfielder Lydia Myers led the way with a four-goal game vs. CWU and senior forward Kyrsten McGuffey scored a pair of goals and tallied three assists.

 

Western's four-game homestand continued next week hosting Northwest Nazarene (Oct. 24, 4 pm) and Central Washington (Senior Day, Oct. 26, 2 pm) at Harrington Field, concluding the regular-season home schedule. The Vikings will take to the road for the final four games of the regular season.

 

 

Prior to last week's games the Vikings had scored just seven goals in the first nine games of the season, which included an own goal. WWU doubled its season goal total in the 7-1 win at Central Washington and added two more goals in the victory at Northwest Nazarene for a 9-goal week. The entire rest of the GNAC scored just three combined goals in other games last week compared to WWU's nine goals, with the four-goal performance by Lydia Myers out-scoring the entire conference for the week.

 

Fans are invited to join in a March to the Match prior to Thursday's 7 pm game vs. Montana State Billings. Meet outside the Rec Center at 5:30 pm where there will be free hot cocoa and free fan flags. Come out and support the first-place Vikings by gathering on campus and arriving at Harrington Field together. Special thanks to The Foundation for WWU & Alumni for helping organized this event.

 

WWU's offense started to click last week with the nine-goal performance, with five different players finding the back of the net. The Vikings went from averaging 0.778 goals per game to 1.455 goals scored per game to rank 4th in the GNAC. Seven different players have scored a goal this season, led by six from senior midfielder Lydia Myers, three from senior forward Kyrsten McGuffey and two by senior forward Sophie Bearden Croft. 

 

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.

Senior Lydia Myers joined the WWU Hat Trick list with her four-goal performance last week at Central Washington, becoming the 22nd player in program history to record three-or-more goals in a game and the ninth time a player has scored 4+ goals in a single contest. She earned the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week award by becoming the third player in GNAC history to score four goals in a match and first since former Viking Zoe Milburn in 2019.

 

Senior Kyrsten McGuffey tied WWU's single-game assist record with three in the 7-1 win over Central Washington. She became the 10th player in program history to record three assists in a game and first since Tera Ziemer in 2021. McGuffey completed a seven-point week adding a goal in each game last week.

 

News and notes on the 2024 WWU Women's Soccer team:

 

·         The Record – 5-2-4 overall record, 4-0-2 in GNAC play (1st place).

·         Strong Defense – WWU ranks 2nd in the GNAC and 32nd nationally with a 0.636 goals against average.

·         National Ranking – Receiving votes in the current United Soccer Coaches Division II poll.

·         GNAC Table – Top of the GNAC table with 14 points (4-0-2).

·         Four Straight at Harrington – WWU will play its next four games at Harrington Field to close out the home schedule.

·         Spreading the Wealth – Viking goals this season have come from seven different players – Lydia Myers (6), Kyrsten McGuffey (3), Sophie Bearden Croft (2), Morgan Manalili (1), Ashley Nguyen (1), Jane Hmura (1), Audrey Holdridge (1)…also one own goal.

·         Tie Games – Have recorded four draws this season, tied for 2nd-most in a single season in program history.

·         National Champions – 2016 and 2022 NCAA II National Champions and national runner-up in 2019.

·         Trengove Clean Sheets – Senior Abigail Trengove has recorded five shutouts this season to tie for the GNAC lead.

·         Harrington Success – Owns all-time 88-7-9 all-time playing at the on-campus facility that debuted in 2014 (.889).

·         Always Dancing – Advanced to play in 10 of the last 11 NCAA Championships and played in seven of the last eight West Regional title matches (9 of last 11 seasons)…all-time record of 45-12-3 in the postseason (GNAC + NCAA).

·         Roster Breakdown – The 2024 roster features 28 players, with 21 from Washington, 5 from Oregon and 2 from California…eligibility wise, the roster has eight freshmen, four sophomores, eight juniors and eight seniors.

·         The Gaffer – Travis Connell is in his 22nd season leading the WWU Women's program (29th at WWU)…owns an all-time 316-87-45 (.756) as the Western women's head coach…owns 441 career wins including time with WWU men's soccer…selected as 2022 GNAC Coach of the Year (his 7th award).

 

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

 

 

The WWU defense has maintained its high standard ranking 2nd in the GNAC with a 0.64 goals against average, conceding just seven goals in 11 games. Western has recorded five shutouts to tie for 2nd in the conference behind the seven recorded by Simon Fraser. Junior co-captain Asia Hardin has been the stalwart on the back line playing in all 975 of 990 possible minutes, with sophomore center back Olivia Connell (871 minutes) and senior defender Halle Noel (786 minutes) also logging most of the minutes on defense. Senior goalkeeper Abigail Trengove has started 10 games and is listed second among GNAC leaders with a 0.516 goals against average and tied for the conference lead with five shutouts.

 

Led by three student-athletes with a perfect 4.00 GPA and three that earned their third Academic All-Star award, the Vikings placed 16 players on the 2024 Great Northwest Athletic Conference All-Academic Team, presented by Barnes & Noble College. WWU led all GNAC programs with the 16 selections, beating out 15 by Central Washington and Seattle Pacific. Juniors Morgan Manalili (Math & Computer Science), Claire Potter (Biochemistry) and Kascia Muscutt (Kinesiology & Spanish) were part of group of seven GNAC student-athletes that all carry a perfect 4.00 GPA. Seniors Ashley Nguyen (3.35, Finance), Sophie Bearden Croft(3.82, Business & Sustainability) and Grace Wales (3.47, Anthropology) led the Vikings becoming three-time award winners. WWU's 16 selections were part of a group of 97 student-athletes across the conference to earn All-GNAC Academic honors.

The Vikings surged into first place in the GNAC standings with a six-point week, recording road wins over Central Washington (7-1) and Northwest Nazarene (2-0) to remain undefeated in conference play at 4-0-2. WWU's seven goals in the win at Central marked the most in a game since 2021 when the Vikings shut out CWU 6-0.

 

Through the first three weeks of conference play, the Vikings are undefeated with a 4-0-2 record, placing them 1st in the GNAC table with 14 points. Simon Fraser (13 points), Seattle Pacific (12 points) and Western Oregon (11 points) form a tight top of the standings. The top four teams in the standings at the conclusion of the 14-game conference slate qualify for the GNAC Championships held November 14-16 at Interbay Stadium with SPU serving as the postseason tournament host.

 

Junior defender and co-captain Asia Hardin has started 56 of 57 possible games during her three-year career as a Vikings. Not only has she been a mainstay in the starting lineup, but in the 56 games played, Hardin has appeared in all but 30 minutes of those games, logging the full 90 minutes 54 times during her career. The only game she missed was the 2022 GNAC Semifinal when she was not available for the game.

 

Since Harrington Field debuted on the south edge of the WWU campus in 2014, the Vikings are 88-7-9 (.889) playing in front of the home crowd (2-1-3 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 136-32-24 (.771) at Harrington Field.

 

Here is a statistical comparison for the Vikings and opponents this week:

 

 

Beginning with the 2022 season, NCAA soccer adopted a new rule where there is no overtime for regular-season games, meaning the game ends after the conclusion of 90 minutes. Since that rule was adopted, the Vikings have recorded 12 ties – four each season – one short of the school record of five ties set in 1981. In the eight seasons prior to the new rule going into effect (2014-2021) WWU combined for 13 total ties.

 

All home games feature a live webcast via Vikings TV and live statistical updates. Fans that choose to watch the games in the comfort of their home or on their devices, can point their browsers to the following links or by searching for "WWU Athletics" on YouTube. Away games will have links available at wwuvikings.com/Live.

 

·         Vikings TV – wwuvikings.com/VikingsTV

·         Webcast – wwuvikings.com/WS_Watch

·         Live Stats – wwuvikings.com/WS_Stats

 

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

 

·         MSU Billings: WWU leads the all-time series vs. MSUB 29-3-2 with a current 21-game winning streak and 22-game unbeaten streak dating back to the 2011 season…the Vikings swept the season series in 2023 winning 3-1 on the road in Billings and 1-0 at home…Western has shut out the Yellowjackets in six of the last seven meetings dating back to the 2019 season…WWU is 14-1-2 all-time vs. MSUB in home games, with a 8-0-0 mark at Harrington Field.

·         Simon Fraser: Opens the second half of the GNAC slate Saturday vs. SFU…defeated the Red Leafs 1-0 on September 26 in Burnaby on a 59th-minute goal by Lydia Myers…WWU is 38-13-3 all-time vs. SFU and won 25 of the last 27 games in the series (unbeaten in 30 of last 21)…Vikings are 17-8-1 all-time in home games vs. SFU, with an 8-0-0 mark at Harrington Field.

 

Here is a look at the overall records for the eight GNAC programs heading into the fourth week of conference play this week. Updated conference standings, schedules, results and statistics can be found online at GNACsports.com.

 

 

Junior Morgan Manalili continues to inch up the WWU record book listing with 17 goals to tie for 29th in program history and 30th with 45 total points (17 G, 11 A). With three more goals will become the 22nd player to reach the 20-gaol mark as a Viking. Manalili's 11 game-winning goals are listed as No. 3 in program history behind 20 by Gabriela Pelogi (2015-18) and 17 by Catherine Miles (2012-15). 

 

As part of the Year of the Vikings, WWU Athletics will induct all 13 of its national champion teams into the WWU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2024-25. The two women's soccer national champion teams – 2016 and 2022 – were honored on October 5 at Harrington Field with a pregame gathering in Carver Gym and a Sideline Party for the GNAC contest vs. Western Oregon. All student-athletes, coaches and staff from the two teams are now part of the WWU Athletics Hall of Fame.

 

The complete 2024 WWU Women's Soccer schedule can be viewed online at wwuvikings.com/24_WSOC and single-game tickets can also be purchased online via wwuvikings.com/Tickets. Current WWU students will gain free admission to all regular-season home events! Free parking is available for all fans during WWU Soccer games in the C Lots above Harrington Field and in the 19G Diagonal parking on College Way.

 

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:

 

 

Here is a look at the voting tally from the 2024 GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll with the Vikings selected atop the rankings earning 59 points and three first-place votes. WWU opens the 2024 conference slate September 26 on the road against Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C. 

 

 

The Vikings have appeared in the NCAA Division II Championships in 10 of the last 11 seasons and made 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.

 

In addition to winning the national title in 2016 and 2022, the Vikings have played in seven of the last eight West Region championship matches and nine of the last 11. WWU has won the West Regional title five times (2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2022).

 

WWU has won 138 of its last 181 games dating back to the start of the 2016 national championship season, going 138-23-20 (.818) during this stretch. The program has won eight of the last 11 GNAC regular-season titles (last in 2022), five of the last eight GNAC Tournaments (last in 2022) and advanced to the NCAA Championships in 10 of the last 11 seasons. WWU has reached the West Regional Championship match nine times in the last 11 seasons and advanced to the NCAA II national semifinals five times (2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2022). Western has a current streak of 20 consecutive winning seasons for one of the top-10 longest active streaks in NCAA II.

 

Travis Connell is in his 22nd season leading the women's program as head coach and 29th overall as a coach at WWU. Owns a 316-87-45 (.756) record leading the women's program to rank as the 6th-winningest active coach amongst NCAA Division II head coaches. Overall, Connell 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 at Biola, and including 125 wins as the head coach of the men's soccer program at WWU, Connell has amassed 441 career NCAA head coaching victories. He is assisted by former Viking standout goalkeeper and WWU Hall of Famer 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/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.