BELLINGHAM, Wash. – After a week off from competition, the Western Washington University is set to open conference play this week with a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference matches on the road.

 

WWU takes its 2-2-2 overall record into road contests at No. 25 Western Oregon (4-1-1) and rival Seattle Pacific (3-2-1). The Vikings will be playing their third game against a nationally-ranked opponent in the GNAC opener vs. WOU, having already played then No. 18 Chico State (1-0 win) and No. 3 Cal State LA (1-0 loss). WWU's non-conference schedule was ranked one of the toughest in the nation with an opponent winning percentage of .649 (19-8-10).

 

Three of the Vikings first four GNAC games will be on the road, with the 12-game conference slate concluding with five of the final eight at Harrington Field in Bellingham. WWU's next home game will be next Thursday (Oct. 10) hosting Northwest Nazarene at 7 pm.

 

WWU was last in action two weeks ago in Utah, going 0-1-1 with a 1-0 loss at Westminster and a scoreless draw vs. Regis. 

 

The Vikings have been led by a strong defense in 2024 ranking 15th in NCAA II and leading the GNAC with a 0.667 goals against average. WWU has allowed just four goals in six games, with sophomore goalkeeper Charlie Dyer logging every minute between the posts.

 

Western's offense has also netted just four goals in six games, led by three points each from senior forward Eric Bunnell (1 G, 1 A) and junior winger Albin Jonsson (1 G, 1 A). Freshman Reiley Buri-Brown leads the team with a pair of assists.

 

 

The Vikings lead the GNAC and rank in the top 20 nationally at the NCAA Division II level with a 0.667 goals against average. WWU's stout defense has allowed just four goals in six games.

 

Here is a statistical comparison through the first week of the season for the Vikings and opponents this week:

 

 

Junior winger Albin Jonsson has made 42 career appearances in three seasons with the Vikings, combining to score 15 goals and contributing eight assists (1 each in 2024) for 38 total points. Jonsson is tied for 18th in program history in points, tied for 15th in goals scored and tied for 4th with seven game-winning goals.

 

After opening the season with a four-game homestand, the Vikings are on the tail end of a four-game road trip that included a pair of games in Salt Lake City, Utah to conclude non-conference play and GNAC-opening contests this week at Western Oregon and Seattle Pacific.

 

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

 

·         Western Oregon: WWU is 2-1-1 all-time vs. Western Oregon, with the Wolves re-starting its program in 2022…Vikings are 1-1-0 in games played in Monmouth, with the Wolves winning 2-1 last season…WWU and WOU tied 2-2 in Bellingham in 2023, with the Vikings winning both contests with a pair of shutouts in 2022…WOU carries an eight-match home unbeaten streak (6-0-2) into Thursday's noon game.

·         Seattle Pacific: Over last 16 meetings dating back to the 2016 season, WWU is 8-3-5 vs. SPU…Falcons lead the all-time series 39-15-11…Vikings went 1-0-1 vs. the Falcons last season, winning 2-0 at home and tying 1-1 at Interbay Stadium…SPU was awarded the GNAC Team of the Week after recording a pair of wins over Regis and Westminster in Utah.

 

All games during Great Northwest Athletic Conference play – home or away – will feature a live webcast via YouTube. Home games will stream through Vikings TV, with fans able to access the games online by searching for WWU Athletics on YouTube. Here are links to follow games this week with the Vikings on the road.

 

·         Webcast – Live Coverage

·         Live Stats – wwuvikings.com/MS_Stats

 

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

 

 

Here is a look at the Vikings 2024 regular-season schedule:

 

 

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

 

 

Tickets can be purchased at the Harrington Field Office beginning one hour prior to kickoff. Current WWU students gain free admission to all home events in 2024-25 by showing their active W card at the entrance. Free fan parking is available in C lots adjacent to Harrington Field. Advanced ticket sales and season ticket packages are also available online at wwuvikings.com/Tickets.

 

The Vikings are listed in a tie for 3rd place in the 2024 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. Coming off a 6-6-6 overall record in 2023 and a tie for 3rd-place finish in the conference, the Vikings received 32 points in a vote of the conference's seven head coaches. Defending champion Simon Fraser is listed first with 43 points and gathering five first-place votes. Western Oregon is 2nd with 41 points and the remaining two first-place votes. WWU is tied with rival Seattle Pacific for the No. 3 spot ahead of No. 5 Northwest Nazarene (25 points). Here is a look at the final voting tally from the 2024 GNAC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll:

 

 

The Vikings are led by four co-captains in 2024 with seniors Lucas Hakamada and Jacob Sundberg, junior Joar Tidblom and sophomore Edgar Serrano forming the team leadership group.

 

For the fourth time in the last seven years, the WWU men's soccer team has earned the prestigious United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award. The Vikings maintained a team GPA of 3.48 during the 2023-24 academic year to lead all teams in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Western also landed a Starting XI on the GNAC All-Academic team in 2023, extending an impressive stretch placing at least 10 student-athletes on the GNAC All-Academic team in each of the last seven years, combining for 82 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 48-24-15 for a .638 winning percentage (2-1-1 in 2024, 4-2-2 in 2023, 7-1-3 in 2022). WWU is 31-12-8 at Harrington Field over the last six seasons (since 2018). Combining with the WWU women's team, both programs have combined to go 135-31-23 (.775) playing at Harrington Field.

 

In his 12th season as head coach and 23rd associated with WWU soccer, head coach Greg Brisbon returns a veteran squad that went 6-6-6 overall and were in contention for the GNAC title until the final week of the season with an 3-4-5 mark in conference play. The Vikings played in the 2019 NCAA Championships and in the midst of a strong eight-season stretch (since 2016) combining to go 70-43-25 (.598) with a 44-23-15 (.628) record in GNAC play. Brisbon owns an all-time head coaching record of 95-65-32 (.578). He is assisted in 2024 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 completed its 44th varsity season in 2023 and has recorded a season record at or above the .500 mark in 11 of the last 12 seasons. 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 four GNAC Players of the Year since joining the conference in 2001. Off the field, WWU has built a strong academic reputation with 82 GNAC All-Academic selections over the last seven years.