BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University women's soccer team closes out the 2024 regular season this week having already clinched its 10th GNAC championship.

 

The Vikings carry an eight-game winning streak and 12-game unbeaten streak into road contests at Seattle Pacific (Thursday) and Montana State Billings (Saturday) to close out the regular season. WWU is 11-2-4 overall and 10-0-2 in GNAC play with a current string of five consecutive shutouts. 

 

Western is receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches poll and ranked No. 6 in the West Region. WWU will be the No. 1 seed in the four-team GNAC Championships that open next week (Nov. 14-16) at Interbay Stadium in Seattle.

 

The Vikings have grown throughout the season, putting together a championship-winning GNAC performance after going 1-2-2 in non-conference play. After scoring three goals in the first five games of the season, Western put 26 goals in the back of the net in 12 conference games.

 

Through the whole season the Vikings have been one of the top defensive teams in the nation leading the GNAC and ranking 14th in the nation with a 0.471 goals against average. WWU has recorded 10 shutouts, with an active streak of five consecutive games not allowing a goal. Heading into Thursday's rivalry match at SPU the Western defense has not allowed a goal over the last 514 minutes.

 

Senior forward Kyrsten McGuffey leads the GNAC with eight goals and is coming off consecutive braces in 2-0 wins last week at Western Oregon and Saint Martin's. Senior midfielder Lydia Myers is second on the team with six goals, while junior midfielder Morgan Manalili (7 assists) and senior defender Halle Noel (6 assists) have combined for 13 of the Vikings GNAC-leading 38 assists.

 

The schedule for the GNAC Championships will be announced Saturday following the completion of all regular-season games via GNACSports.com.

 

 

During the current 12-game undefeated streak (10-0-2) the Vikings have outscored opponents 26-4 and during the 8-game winning streak Western has a 22-2 advantage in goals over opponents. Beginning with the 7-2 win at Central Washington on October 10, The Vikings have scored at least two goals in seven of eight games. Prior to the 12-game unbeaten streak the Vikings combined to score three goals in five non-conference games.

 

Senior forward Kyrsten McGuffey recorded back-to-back braces last week, combining to score all four goals in the 2-0 road wins over Western Oregon and Saint Martin's. McGuffey becomes the first Viking since Chela Gray in 2002 to score multiple goals in consecutive games. Gray had back-to-back two-goal games September 15, 2002 in a 5-0 win at Southern Oregon and September 20, 2002 in a 4-2 win over Central Washington. 

 

The Vikings have clinched their 10th GNAC regular-season title and will be the No. 1 seed in the GNAC Championships. WWU added to titles won in 2022, 2018-19, 2012-16 and 2008. The Vikings have finished first or second in the final GNAC table in each of the last 12 seasons dating back to 2012. WWU and SPU have each won 10 GNAC regular-season titles to tie for the most in conference history.

 

The Vikings have extended their winning streak to eight consecutive games and unbeaten streak to 12 in a row. Here is a look at the longest winning and unbeaten streaks in program history:

 

 

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

 

 

The Vikings close out the 2024 regular season with four road games, covering the GNAC footprint by playing in three different stats. WWU opened the road trip last week with games at Western Oregon in Monmouth, Oregon (2-0 victory) and in Lacey against Saint Martin's (2-0 victory).  Thursday in Monmouth, Oregon (Western Oregon) and closes out the week at Saint Martin's in Lacey. The final week of the regular season features a rivalry game at Seattle Pacific and a plane trip to Billings, Montana to face MSUB.

 

The Vikings will play back-to-back weeks at Interbay Stadium in Seattle, first taking on the Seattle Pacific Falcons Thursday at 7 pm in a regular-season contest and then in the GNAC Championships with the semifinal round opening play Thursday, November 14. WWU won the 2022 NCAA Division II National Championship at Interbay Stadium defeating West Chester 2-1.

 

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

 

·         Seattle Pacific: Played SPU to a 1-1 tie on September 28 at Harrington Field, with the equalizer coming in the 90th minute with 37 seconds remaining in the game on a goal by Sophie Bearden Croft…Vikings out-shot the Falcons 30-8 in the game with a 14-5 advantage in shots on goal…one of the strongest soccer rivalries in the Northwest…WWU is 23-24-9 all-time vs. SPU with a 19-6-6 record in the last 31 meetings dating back to October 2013…WWU had a 21-game unbeaten streak vs. the Falcons from 2013-21.

·         MSU Billings: Defeated MSUB 2-1 on October 17 at Harrington Field in Bellingham…improved to 30-3-2 all-time vs. the Yellowjackets with a current 22-game winning streak and 23-game unbeaten streak vs. MSUB…WWU is 12-2-0 all-time in games played in Billings with active 9-game winning streak.

 

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

 

 

Senior Kyrsten McGuffey leads the team and the GNAC with eight goals and is coming off a Player of the Week performance with back-to-back braces last week. McGuffey has scored a goal in each of the last three games. The Saint Rose College transfer has also contributed five assists for a conference-leading mark of 21 points.

 

The NCAA released its first ordered regional ranking this week with WWU listed No. 6 in the West Region. Seven teams from the West Region will qualify for the NCAA Championships, with automatic bids from the GNAC, CCAA and PacWest and four at-large spots. The NCAA Championships field will be announced at 4 pm on November 18 on NCAA.com. The Vikings feature the No. 5 RPI (.584) and No. 7 PI (17.294) according to Inkblotsports.com. Here is a look at the West Region rankings as determined by the RAC (Regional Advisory Committee):

 

 

The Vikings have qualified for one of the four spots in the GNAC Championships and will be the No. 1 seed after clinching the regular-season title. WWU has advanced to play in each of the 12 versions of the postseason GNAC Tournament and has played in the championship game in each of the 11 tournaments to date. Western is 11-0-0 all-time in GNAC Semifinal games, winning six tournament titles (2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022) and is 17-3-2 all-time in the GNAC Championships.

 

 

One of the great rivalries in college soccer, WWU (2016, 2022) and Seattle Pacific (2008) each have claimed an NCAA Division II national championship. WWU has advanced to the NCAA Championships in 10 of the last 11 seasons, while SPU has appeared in 17 of the last 20 seasons. WWU (10) and SPU (10) have combined to capture 20 of the 23 GNAC regular-season titles.

 

WWU head coach Travis Connell was a four-year letterman for the SPU men's soccer team from 1991-95, helping lead the Falcons to 1993 national championship.

 

Senior forward Kyrsten McGuffey (offense) and sophomore center back Olivia Connell (defense) swept the GNAC Player of the Week awards for games played October 28-November 3. McGuffey scored all four goals in the Vikings 2-0 victories at Western Oregon and Saint Martin's, increasing her season goal total to a GNAC-best eight. Connell (no relation to head coach Travis Connell) played the full 90 minutes in each game helping extend the Vikings shutout streak to five consecutive games (512). McGuffey and Connell become the fifth and sixth Vikings to earn GNAC Player of the Week honors this season, and the fourth consecutive week a WWU player has earned the offensive honor.

 

 

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

 

·         The Record – 11-2-4 overall record, 10-0-2 in GNAC play (1st place).

·         GNAC Champions – Claimed GNAC regular-season title for 10th team title in program history.

·         Top of the Table – Leads the GNAC with 32 points (10-0-2) clinching the regular-season conference title.

·         Strong Defense – WWU leads the GNAC and tied for 14th nationally with a 0.471 goals against average.

·         Offensive Surge – Scored 29 goals on the season, with 22 in the last eight games (7 in first 9 games).

·         Shutouts – Leads the GNAC and tied for 15th in NCAA II with 10 shutouts.

·         Double-Digit Wins – Reached double-digit wins (11-2-4) for the 18th consecutive season, a streak that dates back to the 2006 season. During this stretch WWU has averaged over 16 wins per season and has a string of 20 consecutive winning seasons.

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

·         Four Straight on the Road – Closes out regular season with a four-game road trip (WOU, SMU, SPU, MSUB).

·         Spreading the Wealth – Viking goals this season have come from 11 different players – Kyrsten McGuffey (8), Lydia Myers (6), Ashley Nguyen (3), Sophie Bearden Croft (2), Morgan Manalili (2), Jane Hmura (2), Emily Holdridge (1), Audrey Holdridge (1), Halle Noel (1), Olivia Connell (1), Claire Potter (1)…also one own goal.

·         Big Helper – Morgan Manalili leads the team and tied for GNAC lead with seven assists, the most assists in a season by a Viking since Estera Levinte had eight during the 2022 national championship season.

·         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 nine shutouts to lead the GNAC and tie for 12th in NCAA II.

·         Harrington Success – Owns all-time 92-7-9 all-time playing at the on-campus facility that debuted in 2014 (.894).

·         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 322-87-45 (.759) as the Western women's head coach…owns 447 career wins including time with WWU men's soccer…selected as 2022 GNAC Coach of the Year (his 7th award).

 

Through the first six weeks of conference play, the Vikings are undefeated with an 10-0-2 record, placing them 1st in the GNAC table with 32 points, clinching the 2024 regular-season title. WWU will be the No. 1 seed in the GNAC Championships held November 14-16 at Interbay Stadium in Seattle. 

 

Senior Lydia Myers joined the WWU Hat Trick list with her four-goal performance 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.

 

The Vikings celebrated the eight-player senior class prior to the October 26 regular-season home finale, a 4-0 win over Central Washington, with Abigail Trengove, Sophie Bearden Croft, Halle Noel, Ashley Nguyen, Grace Wales, Myka Carr, Kyrsten McGuffey and Lydia Myers recognized during a pregame ceremony.

 

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.

 

Junior defender and co-captain Asia Hardin has started 62 of 63 possible games during her three-year career as a Viking. Not only has she been a mainstay in the starting lineup, but in the 62 games played, Hardin has appeared in all but 30 minutes of those games, logging the full 90 minutes 60 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 92-7-9 (.894) playing in front of the home crowd (6-1-3 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 143-32-24 (.779) at Harrington Field.

 

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 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:

 

 

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 144 of its last 187 games dating back to the start of the 2016 national championship season, going 144-23-20 (.824) during this stretch. The program has won nine of the last 12 GNAC regular-season titles (including 2024), 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 322-87-45 (.759) 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 447 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 nine of the last 13 Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular-season titles (2024 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.