BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The top-ranked and defending NCAA Division II national champion Western Washington University women’s soccer team opens the 2017 season Thursday in a cross-border friendly vs. the University of the Fraser Valley
The exhibition match is scheduled to start at 5 pm at Harrington Field on the WWU campus, with free parking and admission for all fans. Game stats and the outcome of the match will not count towards the 2017 regular season, slated to start Aug. 31 with a road contest vs. Notre Dame de Namur in Belmont, Calif.
This will be the only chance for fans to watch the defending national champions prepare for the 2017 season, with two more exhibition matches to be played on the road at the University of British Columbia (Aug. 22) and Trinity Western University (Aug. 24). WWU has a road-heavy first part of the regular-season schedule playing its first five matches on the road, before opening Great Northwest Athletic Conference action at home against Western Oregon on Sept. 16.
“Our regular season games are critical for regional placing, so getting in good work during the preseason is crucial for our team,” said head coach Travis Connell, who enters his 15th season as WWU’s head coach and 22nd overall at Western. “We will focus on our speed of play, timing and overall fitness in these three exhibition matches.”
The Vikings are ranked No. 1 in the nation in the United Soccer Coaches Division II preseason poll after going 24-0-1 en route to winning the 2016 National Championship with a 3-2 victory over defending national champion Grand Valley State.
WWU lost five seniors and six total letter winners from the 2016 season, but returns seven starters and 18 letter winners. Among the returners are 2016 NSCAA National Player of the Year and First Team All-American Sierra Shugarts (Sr., D, Federal Way, WA/Decatur), NSCAA Second Team All-American Emily Webster (Sr., MF, Bellingham, WA/Sehome), NSCAA Third Team All-American Ashley Homer (Sr., GK, Puyallup, WA/College of Saint Rose) and Gabriela Pelogi (Jr., F, Federal Way, WA), the 2016 team leader in points and goals.
The preseason GNAC coaches poll is scheduled to be announced on Friday with the Vikings a strong contender to be featured in the top spot. WWU has won each of the last five GNAC regular-season titles (2012-16) and are back-to-back champions of the GNAC Championship Tournament
