BILLINGS, Mont. – The Western Washington University women's soccer team completed an undefeated run through the Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule with a 3-0 road victory over Montana State Billings Saturday at Yellowjacket Field.

 

WWU scored a pair of first-half goals and added an early second-half insurance goal to complete the regular season 12-2-5 overall and undefeated at 11-0-3 in GNAC play. The Vikings take a 14-game undefeated streak into the postseason where they will be the No. 1 seed in the GNAC Championships with play opening Thursday (Nov. 14) at Interbay Stadium in Seattle. 

 

"I am really proud of our student-athletes. An undefeated conference record is difficult to navigate," said WWU head coach Travis Connell. "Our conference is loaded with good teams and coaches. We all push each other to be our best and to continue to improve."

 

The Vikings got on the board first after putting constant pressure on the Yellowjackets in the first 10 minutes of the game. WWU's 9th shot of the early part of the contest found the back of the net with freshman Emily Holdridge looping a shot just below the crossbar after junior Claire Potter intercepted a pass just outside the 18-yard box. The goal was Holdridge's second of the week and third of her rookie season.

 

WWU added to its lead with senior Sophie Bearden Croft slotting her right-footed shot into the upper right corner off a back-heel assist from junior Morgan Manalili.

 

Senior forward Ashley Nguyen completed the scoring with a screamer from outside the 18-yard box in the 51st minute. Nguyen corralled a throw-in from senior defender Halle Noel near the sideline and sent a right-footed shot all the way across the box into the left side of the goal.

 

WWU held a decisive 28-8 advantage in total shots and 12-2 in shots on goal. 

 

Senior goalkeeper Abigail Trengove made a pair of saves while recording her 10th shutout of the season. The blanking by the defense marked the 11th shutout of the season and sixth in last seven games.

 

MSUB completed the season with a 6-8-4 overall record and 3-7-4 in GNAC play.

 

The Vikings (12-2-5, 11-0-3 GNAC) heads into the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the GNAC Championships that will be held November 14-16 at Interbay Stadium in Seattle. WWU will open the GNAC Tournament in Thursday's first semifinal at 4 pm playing No. 4 seed Western Oregon. More information and ticket information for the GNAC Championships are available online at GNACSports.com. The complete 2024 schedule can be viewed online via wwuvikings.com/24_WSOC.

 

Western Washington 3, Montana State Billings 0

Date: November 9, 2024

Field: Yellowjacket Soccer Field     Site: Billings, MT

Attendance: 274

 

Goals by period                 1  2    Tot

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

Western Washington............  2  1  -  3

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

 

SCORING SUMMARY:

1.      13:35      WWU       E. Holdridge (Potter)

2.      29:41      WWU       Bearden Croft (Manalili)

3.      50:30      WWU       Nguyen (Noel)

 

Shots: WWU 28, MSUB 8

Shots on Goal: WWU 12, MSUB 2

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

Corners: WWU 6, MSUB 2

Fouls: WWU 10, MSUB 7

Offsides: WWU 2, MSUB 0

Kits: WWU (White), MSUB (Navy)

Updated Records: WWU (12-2-5, 11-0-3 GNAC), MSUB (6-8-4, 3-7-4 GNAC)

 

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

 

 

Here is a look at the final regular-season standings for the GNAC with the Vikings securing its 10th title. WWU (No. 1), Seattle Pacific (No. 2), Simon Fraser (No. 3) and Western Oregon (No. 4) will compete in the four-team GNAC Championships next week in Seattle with the winner receiving the automatic bid to the NCAA II West Regional Championships. Updated conference standings, schedules, results and statistics can be found online at GNACsports.com.

 

 

The Vikings extended their unbeaten streak to 14 consecutive games tying for the 7th-longest in program history. WWU had its eight-game winning streak snapped Thursday with a 1-1 tie at Seattle Pacific. Here is a look at the longest winning and unbeaten streaks in program history:

 

 

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.

 

WWU completed the season sweep over MSUB after defeating the Yellowjackets 2-1 on October 17 at Harrington Field. The Vikings are 31-3-2 all-time vs. MSUB while extending the current winning streak to 23 consecutive games and unbeaten streak to 24 in a row. Western is 13-3-0 all-time in games played in Billings with an active 10-game winning streak.

 

The Vikings finished the GNAC portion of the season with an undefeated 11-0-3 record. WWU clinched its 10th GNAC title and will be the No. 1 seed in the GNAC Championships held November 14-16 at Interbay Stadium in Seattle. 

 

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:

 

 

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.