Box Score

NAMPA, Idaho – Greg Brisbon recorded his 100th win as head coach of the Western Washington University men's soccer program as the Vikings earned a hard fought 3-2 road victory over Northwest Nazarene University Thursday afternoon on NNU Soccer Field in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. 

 

Playing the entire second half a man up after an NNU red card in closing seconds of the first half, the Vikings got two goals in the final fifteen minutes from seniors Kaydin Wall and Eric Bunnell to give Western the 3-2 victory. The win extends the Vikings winning streak to five consecutive games and moves them to 5-2-1 in GNAC play. WWU is now all alone in second place in the GNAC table with 16 points.

 

"What a great game. Great job in the second half to find a way to win," said Brisbon, who improved to 100-67-33 (.583) as WWU's head coach. "This group has created good chemistry on the field solving problems and finding ways to score. Credit to NNU as they made it very difficult on us in the second half. I am proud of the guys for their performance today."

 

Playing a man up, the Vikings would go on to outshoot the Nighthawks 17-0 (9-0) in the second half. The pivotal moment of the game came with 12 seconds left in the first half when junior winger Albin Jonsson went streaking past the NNU defense to chase down a pass from senior forward Diego Alvarado and was taken down on a hard foul with a straight red card issued to NNU's Sullivan Smith.

 

Wall's game-tying goal came at 75:56 when a ball sent into the box by senior Lucas Hakamada was deflected backwards by junior defender Joar Tidblom to a waiting Wall who volleyed the ball past the keeper to even the match at 2-2.

 

Bunnell put home the game-winner and tallied his brace in the 88th minute when he deflected a ball sent across the face of the goal by senior Adan Fernandez. It marked back-to-back braces for the senior from Renton, who also tallied two goals in the Vikings victory over Simon Fraser last Saturday.

 

WWU opened the scoring with another early goal, with Bunnell scoring for the second consecutive game to give the Vikings a 1-0 lead late in the seventh minute. Wall sent a cross into the box from the far sideline finding Bunnell in the middle of the box. Bunnell trapped the ball with his touch and fired an immediate shot into the upper left corner for his team-leading sixth goal of the season.

 

NNU equalized in the 16th minute on a goal by Caleb Putney. NNU regained possession after Western cleared the ball following a Nighthawk corner kick. Raoul Barragan sent a cross into the box where Putney chested the ball to his and fired a quick left-footed shot that eluded WWU goalkeeper Charlie Dyer. The Nighthawks took the first half lead when a cross sent across the box deflected off a Viking defender and into the net for an own goal at the 42:12 mark.

 

WWU held a 23-3 advantage in shots and 11-1 in shots on goal. The victory marked Western's firs this season when trailing at the half.

 

The Vikings (7-4-3, 5-2-1 GNAC) returns home to Harrington Field hosting Saint Martin's in a 4 pm game on Saturday in Bellingham. The complete 2024 schedule can be viewed online via wwuvikings.com/24_MSOC.

 

Head coach Greg Brisbon recorded his 100th career victory as the Vikings head coach in his 12th season leading the program (23rd associated with the program). Brisbon is now 100-67-33 (.583) overall leading the Vikings with a 68-42-22 (.598) mark in GNAC contests. He becomes the third GNAC men's soccer head coach to reach the 100-win mark joining Mark Collings of SPU (129-68-32, 13 seasons) and current WWU women's coach Travis Connell (106-108-16, 12 seasons) who led the men's program from 2001-12.

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Western Washington 3, Northwest Nazarene 2

Date: October 31, 2024

Field: NNU Soccer Field   Site: Nampa, ID

Attendance: 127

 

Goals by period                 1  2    Tot

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

Western Washington............  1  3  -  3

Northwest Nazarene............  2  0  -  2

 

SCORING SUMMARY:

1.       6:59     WWU     Bunnell (Wall)

2.      15:57     NNU     Putney (Barragan)

3.      42:13     NNU     Own Goal

4.      75:56     WWU     Wall (Tidblom)

5.      87:23     WWU     Bunnell (Fernandez, Rotter)

 

Shots: WWU 23, NNU 3

Shots on Goal: WWU 11, NNU 1

Saves: WWU 0 (Dyer - 0), NNU 8 (Fonte -8)

Corners: WWU 8, NNU 2

Fouls: WWU 10, NNU 9

Offsides: WWU 2, NNU 0

Kits: WWU (White), NNU (Black)

Updated Records: WWU (7-4-3, 5-2-1 GNAC), NNU (4-7-3, 3-3-2 GNAC)

 

Here is a look at the overall records for the seven GNAC programs through Thursday's games to open the fifth week of conference play. Updated conference standings, schedules, results and statistics can be found online at GNACsports.com.

 

 

WWU extended its winning streak to five consecutive games, stretching back to the 7-2 win at Saint Martin's on October 12. The current winning streak is tied for 9th-longest in program history:

 

 

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

 

 

WWU avenged its 2-1 loss to NNU in Bellingham on October 10, snapping a five-game streak of a loss or tie against the Nighthawks. WWU leads the all-time series 21-11-4 with a 11-6-2 mark in matches played in Nampa.

 

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

 

 

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 93 GNAC All-Academic selections over the last eight years.