Tuesday, August 1, 2023

PORTLAND, Ore. – Northwest Nazarene men’s soccer enters the new season not only on the back of the best season in program history but ranked No. 6 in the United Soccer Coaches National Preseason Poll.

The Nighthawks secured their first GNAC title in program history last season with a 9-2-1 conference record. They took that momentum all the way to the NCAA Super Region 4 Final, ultimately ending the year with a 1-0 loss to national champion runner-up CSU Pueblo and a 15-4-3 overall record. Northwest Nazarene is the only GNAC team to feature in the preseason poll which is headed up by reigning NCAA champion Franklin Pierce.

En route to the super region final, NNU led the GNAC in points (113) and goals (39). The Nighthawks also ranked top-three in the conference in shots (267), goals per game (1.77), assists (35), assists per game (1.59), saves (80) and shutouts (7).

Northwest Nazarene came through to clinch its first GNAC championship on the final day of the season and earned a reputation as a giant-killer in the postseason as the Nighthawks knocked off west-region rivals West Texas A&M, Cal State LA and Cal State Dominguez Hills. The thrillers carried over from the regular season as NNU defeated West Texas A&M in a penalty shootout and scored pair of goals in the final two minutes to take down the Toros.

New head coach James Williams returns more than half of last year’s starting 11 as he bids to keep NNU on top. Leading the offensive returners for the Nighthawks is junior midfielder Jonathan Cardona. The San Diego native ranked third for NNU and was tied for sixth in the GNAC with 14 points last season. Cardona did most of his damage with passes, racking up 10 assists while adding two goals of his own.

Junior forward Sullivan Smith is the leading goal scorer to return for the Nighthawks. Smith tallied five goals and one assist to total 11 points in 2022. First Team All-GNAC and United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-West Region honoree Ethan Atterberry is also back on the pitch for NNU. The senior midfielder recorded two goals and four assists last season.

Perhaps the biggest presence to return for Northwest Nazarene is senior goalkeeper Sawyer Price. The All-GNAC Honorable Mention keeper stood tall in net last season, amassing a 15-4-3 record while starting all but one of the Nighthawks’ 22 matches. Price finished the season with a 1.18 goals against average, a .748 save percentage, 77 saves and seven shutouts.

Northwest Nazarene will open its 2023 campaign with a preseason exhibition against Blue Mountain Community College on Thursday, August 17 in Nampa. The Nighthawks’ regular season will begin on Thursday, August 31 in Waipahu, Hawaii against Hawaii Pacific.