Monday, November 7, 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. – Western Washington has been the top team in the conference for the last five weeks and, after winning the GNAC Championships, the Vikings are heading to the 2022 NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Championships.

Western Washington enters the tournament as the No. 2 seed in the West Region with an overall record of 14-2-4 (11-1-2 GNAC). The Vikings will receive a first-round bye and host the winner of No. 3 seed Point Loma (12-2-4) and No. 6 seed Sonoma State (12-4-3) in Bellingham at Harrington Field on Saturday at 3 p.m.

The Vikings are led by GNAC Freshman of the Year and GNAC Championships MVP Morgan Manalili who is tied for second in the conference with eight goals and is tied for third with four assists. Manalili is joined by junior forward Estera Levinte, senior midfielder Tera Ziemer and fellow freshman forward Claire Potter up front for Western Washington.

Levinte ranks fifth in the conference with six goals and is tied for the GNAC lead with six assists while Ziemer and Potter each scored four goals. Ziemer also recorded four assists while Potter added two.  

The Vikings have had some of the best goaltending in the country behind senior goalkeeper Claire Henninger. She leads the GNAC and ranks 18th in Division II with nine shutouts this season while holding a .820 save percentage. Her .525 goals-against average leads the conference and ranks 16th in Division II.

Western Washington has faced both of its potential round-two opponents on the road this season. The Vikings took a 2-1 loss to Sonoma State on Sept. 3 and earned a 1-1 draw with Point Loma on Sept. 6.