BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Led by a hat trick from senior Morgan Manalili, the Western Washington University women's soccer team recorded a 4-1 victory over Cal State Monterey Bay Thursday evening in its home opener at Harrington Field.
The Vikings recorded their first victory of the season to improve to 1-1-2 overall, coming off a tough three-game road trip to Colorado to open the season. WWU tested No. 1 nationally-ranked Colorado School of Mines in its last game over a week ago falling 3-2.
Thursday's home-opening victory featured a quick start with the Vikings scoring directly off a Manalili corner kick just 51 seconds into the game. It would be the first of three goals for the senior who registered the 36th hat trick in program history and the first since Lydia Myers' four-goal game in 2024.
"It's great to be back home at Harrington Field playing in front of our great fans. This helped us get off to a fast start," said WWU head coach Travis Connell. "The players worked hard today and executed in front of the goal. We will build of this performance."
Manalili scored the Vikings second goal early in the seventh minute off a pass from senior defender Kascia Muscutt, burying a long left-footed shot into the top right corner.
The Vikings went up 3-0 in the 18th minute on a goal by sophomore forward Emily Holdridge, who put back a shot off the post by Manalili for her fourth career goal.
Manalili completed the hat trick in the 51st minute winning the ball near midfield and beating the goalkeeper one-on-one with a right-footed shot from 12 yards out.
WWU held a decisive 16-4 advantage in total shots and converted on all four of the shots on goal.
Freshman goalkeeper Ellie McGowan made her collegiate debut logging all 90 minutes, making a pair of saves.
Senior Asia Hardin and junior Olivia Connell both logged the full 90 on the backline helping lead the Vikings to the first victory of the season.
The Vikings (1-1-2) remain at home Saturday hosting Cal State East Bay at Harrington Field with kickoff scheduled for 2:30 pm. The WWU men open Saturday's doubleheader with a noon game vs. Westminster. The complete 2025 schedule can be viewed online via wwuvikings.com/25_WSOC.
Western Washington 4, Cal State Monterey Bay 1
Date: September 18, 2025
Field: Harrington Field Site: Bellingham, WA
Attendance: 413
Goals by period 1 2 Tot
--------------------------------------------
Cal St. Monterey Bay.......... 0 1 - 1
Western Washington............ 3 1 - 4
SCORING SUMMARY:
1. 00:51 WWU Manalili
2. 06:09 WWU Manalili (Muscutt)
3. 17:18 WWU E. Holdridge (Manalili)
4. 50:42 WWU Manalili
5. 68:13 CSUMB Purvey
Shots: WWU 16, CSUMB 4
Shots on Goal: WWU 4, CSUMB 3
Saves: WWU 2 (McGowan - 2), CSUMB 0 (Wynn – 0, Baltazar - 0)
Corners: WWU 8, CSUMB 1
Fouls: CSUMB 14, WWU 9
Offsides: WWU 1, CSUMB 1
Kits: WWU (Black), CSUMB (White)
Updated Records: WWU (1-1-2), CSUMB (1-1-2)
Here is a look at Western's record breakdown for the 2025 season:
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2025 RECORD BREAKDOWN
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Overall Record
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1-1-2
|
|
Streak
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W1
|
|
Home
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1-0-0
|
|
Away
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0-1-2
|
|
Neutral
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0-0-0
|
|
GNAC Record
|
0-0-0
|
|
Non-Conference
|
1-1-2
|
|
Ranked Opponents
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0-1-0
|
|
Scoring First
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1-1-0
|
|
Opponent Scores First
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0-0-2
|
|
Lead at the Half
|
1-0-0
|
|
Tied at the Half
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0-1-1
|
|
Trail at the Half
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0-0-1
|
|
Record by Kit
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|
White
|
0-0-0
|
|
Navy Blue
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0-0-0
|
|
Light Blue
|
0-1-0
|
|
Black
|
1-0-2
|
The Western Washington University women's soccer program has risen to the top of the Division II ranks, appearing in the NCAA Championships in 11 of the last 12 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 11 seasons and played for the West Region championship in nine of the last 12 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 23rd season leading the program in 2025 (30th overall at WWU) and has led the Vikings to 12 trips to the NCAA Championships and 19 consecutive winning seasons.
