Thursday, November 19, 2015

The GNAC Women’s Soccer Championships Most Valuable Player did it again with another big match goal. Junior Caitlyn Jobanek put Western Washington ahead early with a sixth minute goal, and the team never looked back against Azusa Pacific with a 1-0 victory Thursday night.

On their home Harrington field, the No. 1 seeded Vikings took on No. 2 seed Azusa Pacific in the third round of the NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Championships and the West Region final. Jobanek’s quick goal gave the Vikings the only lead they would need as the GNAC’s top defensive team shutdown the opposition, holding the Cougars to just one shot on goal over 90 minutes.

With the win, the Vikings advanced to the quarterfinals of the national tournament, putting them one win away from a trip to Pensacola, Fla. and the Final Four. The 1-0 victory is the second in as many games for the Vikings in the national tournament. They defeated rival Seattle Pacific in the second round.

Western Washington played a dominant defensive match, holding Azusa Pacific to three shots and none on goal in the first half. For the match, the Vikings allowed just seven shots and gave the Cougars no opportunities to setup with zero corner kicks allowed. Offensively, Western Washington took 19 shots with five on goal.

The Vikings moved their season record up to 20-1-1 and extended their undefeated streak to 19 straight matches. They will host Dallas Baptist, the No. 2 seed from the South Central region, on Sat., Nov. 21 at 1 p.m. Pacific time.