Saturday, December 3, 2022

Seattle, Wash. – Six years to the day from its last national title, the Western Washington women’s soccer team is walking away from Seattle as the 2022 Division II Women’s Soccer champion.

The Vikings took a 2-1 win over No. 1 seed West Chester in front of a packed house at Interbay Stadium to claim the second national championship in program history. Over 1,000 fans packed into the stands, with a large majority supporting WWU, to see the Vikings battle their way to the title.

Western Washington held a commanding advantage in offensive chances, outshooting the Golden Rams 25-3. The Vikings were also the more dominant team in the midfield, often pinning West Chester in its own half and winning key battles in the midfield to maintain momentum.

The Vikings punched through for the first goal of the match when on a shot from senior midfielder Tera Ziemer who slotted a bouncing ball past the Golden Rams goalkeeper inside of the box before being swarmed by her teammates in the 15th minute. Despite WWU’s control of play, West Chester showed the grit that kept it undefeated until the final horn sounded in Seattle, equalizing in the 25th minute.

After going into halftime tied at one apiece, the Vikings and their fans had to wait until the 83rd minute to celebrate again when freshman forward Claire Potter crossed a ball into the box that floated over the West Chester goalkeeper and found its way into the back of the net.

The late goal proved to be enough to secure the victory and the national championship. The Vikings finish the season with a 19-2-4 overall record (11-1-2 GNAC). Junior forward Estera Levinte was named the tournament MVP for her contributions in the postseason.