Exactly six years to the day, Dec. 3, the Western Washington University women's soccer team won its second NCAA Division II National Championship with a 2-1 victory over West Chester University in front of a sold-out crowd of 1,013 at Interbay Stadium in Seattle.
Playing within 90 miles of their campus, the Vikings had a huge following as they finished the season with a 19-2-4 record and added a second star to its championship crest, also winning the national title in 2016.
The Vikings established themselves as one of the premier soccer programs in the country advancing to 10 consecutive NCAA II championship tournaments, seven consecutive West Region tourneys and playing in a national title game for the third time in the last six seasons.
"When you talk about doing something big, like winning a national title, what we discovered this year is that you've got to break it down into small things," WWU head coach Travis Connell said. "We really wanted to - not win a title - we wanted to win the next play, and we wanted to win the next half and we wanted to win the next game. And if we stacked all those things on top of each other…we get to win this game."
Freshman Claire Potter (Pasco/Tri Cities Prep/Pasco) scored the game-winning goal in the 83rd minute, tucking a tough-angled shot from the edge of the right side of the 18-yard box into the side netting. Potter raced down the right side of the box after taking a pass from junior defender Kascia Muscutt (Leavenworth/Cascade/Peninsula CC), putting the Vikings 25th shot of the game just over the reach of the West Chester All-American goalkeeper.
"My objective in that moment was just to create another chance," Potter explained. "I sprinted after it and tried to chip the keeper - whether somebody else was going to get on the other end of it or not - and it ended up in the back of the net."
WWU out-shot the No.1 nationally ranked Golden Rams 25-3, with an 11-2 edge in shots on goal.
After controlling possession from the opening kickoff, the Vikings broke through on their eighth shot of the game when senior Tera Ziemer (Santa Rosa, CA/Montgomery/Texas A&M) found the back of the net in the 15th minute. Payton Neal (Lynnwood/Blanchet) took a short free kick laying it off to Katie Watt (Seattle/Blanchet), who sent a ball into the box from distance. Potter flicked a header into the middle of the box where Ziemer got a boot to the ball near the six-yard box eluding the WCU goalkeeper.
"We had an incredible blend of experienced returners that laid the foundation, created space and encouraged the new players and the less experienced players to grow into what they could be," Connell added. "Then we had hungry new players that just went after it. I would say confidently that this team improved more over the last four months than any team that I've coached before."
The Golden Rams found the equalizer in the 25th minute off a long free kick by Kiley Kergides, following a tough foul called on a slide tackle by Muscutt. Alyson Cutter timed her leap on the free kick, connecting on a looping header from 12-yards out into the upper left quadrant of the goal.
West Chester allowed two goals in a game for the first time this season while having its undefeated season come to an end at 23-1-1. Golden Rams first-team All-American Hayley McGee kept the game close making nine saves.
The Vikings had four players selected to the national all-tournament team, led by Most Outstanding Player Estera Levinte (Bothell). Watt, Ziemer and junior goalkeeper Claire Henninger (Sequim) were also picked.
WWU won its second national championship exactly six years after winning its first. The Vikings took the 2016 national title on December 3, 2016 with a 3-2 victory over Grand Valley State MI at Kansas City, Missouri.
Gallery: (12-3-2022) WS | National Championship Game
2022 Women's Soccer Roster:
Head Coach: Travis Connell
Assistant Coach: Jamie Arthurs
Assistant Coach: Claire Morgan
Athletic Trainer: Thomas Silberberger
Ellie Busik (Happy Valley, OR/Clackamas/Grand Canyon)
Sophie Bearden Croft (Portland, OR/Lincoln)
Zola Carbone (Bellingham/Sehome)
Myka Carr (Newcastle/Liberty/Highline CC)
Dayana Diaz (Granite Falls)
Caylie Etherington (Oak Harbor)
Kaylin Gaiser (Woodinville/North Creek)
Asia Hardin (West Linn, OR)
Alisa Harmer (Bellevue/Interlake)
Claire Henninger (Sequim)
Quinn Kassing (Phoenix, AZ/Boulder Creek)
Allison Lepp (Minot, ND/Minot)
Estera Levinte (Bothell)
Morgan Manalili (Shoreline/Shorewood)
Kascia Muscutt (Leavenworth/Cascade/Peninsula CC)
Payton Neal (Lynnwood/Blanchet)
Ashley Nguyen (Seattle/Kennedy)
Jayden Nguyen (Bellingham/Squalicum/Whatcom CC)
Halle Noel (Puyallup)
Claire Potter (Pasco/Tri Cities Prep/Pasco)
Karina Provo (Federal Way)
Minji Rauch (Renton/Lindbergh)
Emily Rice (Portland, OR/Beaverton)
Gracie Sturdevant (Kirkland/Lake Washington/Denver)
Abby Succi (San Clemente, CA/San Clemente)
Abigail Trengove (Folsom, CA/Vista Del Lago/Long Beach State)
Chloe Unflat (Portland, OR/Wilson)
Katie Watt (Seattle/Blanchet)
Grace Wales (Snohomish)
Tara Ziemer (Santa Rosa, CA/Montgomery/Texas A&M)
