Western Washington University Athletics

NAMPA, Idaho – Sophomore winger Jose Perez scored midway through the first half on a rebounded shot to lead the Western Washington University men's soccer team to a 1-0 road victory over Northwest Nazarene University Thursday evening in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.

Sophomore Landon Schulze fired a curling shot that was saved by NNU goalkeeper Elijah Brockl, but Perez pounced on the rebound for the putback goal that stood as the game winner for the Vikings. The goal was first of the season for Perez and Schulze recorded his eighth assist to tie for sixth-most in single-season program history. Schulze also leads the team with six goals and is tied for second in the GNAC with 19 points.

WWU looked to go up 2-0 with just over 15 minutes remaining in the game when the Vikings were awarded a penalty kick on a foul in the box. Rylan McPherson was issued a yellow card and red card on the play to put NNU at 10 players. Senior Edgar Serrano had his penalty kick saved by Brockl and follow-up shots by Schulze and Perez were turned away keeping it a 1-0 contest.
 

WWU's defense recorded its fourth shutout of the season with senior goalkeeper Charlie Dyer returning to the starting role making four saves. NNU held a 17-12 advantage in total shots, but Western had a 5-4 lead in shots on goal.

The 1-0 victory improved the Vikings to 7-5-2 overall and 2-3-1 in GNAC play. WWU's seven points are fifth in the conference table, one back of fourth-place NNU (8 points, 2-2-2). Seattle Pacific (13 points), Western Oregon (11 points) and Simon Fraser (11 points) hold the top three spots in the conference table.

The Vikings and Nighthawks played to a 2-2 tie on October 1 in Bellingham, with the Vikings earning the road win to improve to 23-11-6 all-time vs. NNU. The Nighthawks received votes in the United Soccer Coaches Poll after being ranked No. 19 in the previous meeting against Western.

The Vikings (7-5-2, 2-3-1 GNAC) remain on the road playing at Seattle Pacific on Saturday with kickoff set for 7 pm at Interbay Stadium. All conference games will stream live on the GNAC Network. The complete 2026 schedule can be viewed online via wwuvikings.com/MSOC.

Western Washington 1, Northwest Nazarene 0

Date: October 15, 2026

Field: NNU Soccer Field    Site: Nampa, ID

Attendance: 180

Goals by period                 1  2    Tot

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

Western Washington............  1  0  -  1

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

SCORING SUMMARY:

1.         22:38     WWU       Perez (Schulze)

Shots: NNU 17, WWU 12

Shots on Goal: WWU 5, NNU 4

Saves: WWU 4 (Dyer - 4), NNU 4 (Brockl - 4)

Corners: WWU 5, NNU 5

Fouls: NNU 15, WWU 13

Offsides: WWU 5, NNU 5

Kits: WWU (Black), NNU (White)

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

Here is a look at Western's record breakdown for the 2026 season:

Here is a look at the results and updated standings following Thursday's games to open the fourth week of the conference slate. The top three teams in the standings at the conclusion of the regular season advance to play in the 2026 GNAC Championships held November 5-7 at Interbay Stadium in Seattle. Updated conference standings, schedules, results and statistics can be found online at GNACsports.com.

Here is a look at the Vikings 2026 schedule and game-by-game results: