BELLINGHAM, Wash – The Western Washington University women’s soccer team has been selected as the top team in the annual Great Northwest Athletic Conference Preseason Women’s Soccer Coaches Poll.
The Vikings, the winner of three consecutive GNAC Tournaments and five of the last six regular season titles, received five of the nine first-place votes for a total of 77 points. Concordia, last season’s regular-season champion, finished second in the voting with 74 points and four first- place votes. Both Vikings (No. 7) and Cavaliers (No. 19) were recognized by United Soccer Coaches in the organization’s preseason Division II preseason rankings.
Western is coming off an 18-2 campaign in 2017 where the program played for the NCAA II West Region championship for the fifth time in the last six seasons. The Vikings return 9 starters and 19 total letterwinners from that squad. Western finished the 2017 season ranked No. 8 in the nation and is one season removed from winning the 2016 NCAA II National Championship.
WWU has dominated play in the GNAC over the last five seasons, going 49-1-4 in regular-season conference games dating back to the 2013 season. Overall, the Vikings are 99-7-7 (.907) over the last five seasons, the second-best record among NCAA Division II teams behind Grand Valley State (112-9-5/.909).
The Vikings will officially open the 2018 regular season on the road at Point Loma (Aug. 30) and No. 5-ranked UC San Diego (Sept. 1), before hosting Holy Names in the home opener on September 6 at Harrington Field (7 pm).
