BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University men's soccer team is set to make its 2025 debut entering the new season picked to finish second in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll.

 

A year after placing second in the table with 25 points going 10-5-3 overall and 8-3-1 in GNAC play in 2024, the Vikings enter the season with high expectations gathering 27 points and one first-place vote to trail defending champion Western Oregon (33 points). Simon Fraser is listed just behind WWU with 23 points in third place and Seattle Pacific is slotted fourth with 21 points.

 

With the top four teams in the preseason poll separated by just 12 points, it's likely of another indicator of a tough conference slate that has produced five different regular season champions since 2019. WWU won the title in 2019, with Seattle Pacific (2021), Northwest Nazarene (2022), Simon Fraser (2023) and Western Oregon (2024) climbing to the top of the table in recent seasons.

 

The Vikings look to continue the hot streak they finished the 2024 season on, winning eight of the final 10 matches to fall just short of a return bid to the NCAA Tournament. WWU features a strong nine-player senior class with defender Joar Tidblom and midfielder Edgar Serrano leading the squad as team captains. Senior center back Sebastiano Silvetti is a two-time First Team All-GNAC selection and senior winger Albin Jonsson has earned three All-GNAC awards entering the season ranked in the top 15 in program history in goals (16), assists (12) and points (44).

 

Greg Brisbon enters his 13th season at the helm of the program and is tied for the second-most conference-match victories in GNAC history. Since taking over in 2013, Brisbon has led WWU to an overall record of 103-68-33 (.586) and has gone 71-43-22 (.603) in league play. Over the last nine seasons (since 2016), the Vikings have combined for a .607 winning percentage, going 78-46-26 overall and 52-26-16 in GNAC play (.638).

 

The Vikings officially open the season with four consecutive road games, beginning with a September 4 match-up at Chico State (7 pm) and September 6 at Stanislaus State (7 pm). The tough start to the campaign continues facing a pair of nationally-ranked programs on the road at No. 24 Cal State Dominguez Hills on September 11 and No. 11 Cal State LA on September 13. WWU's home opener at Harrington Field is scheduled for Thursday, September 18 hosting Regis University at 4 pm.  

 

The complete 2025 season schedule can be viewed online at wwuvikings.com/25_MSOC.

 

Here is a look at the final voting tally from the 2025 GNAC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll:

 

 

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 45th varsity season in 2024 and has recorded a season record at or above the .500 mark in 12 of the last 13 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.