DEFENDING THE TWINE: Saint Martin’s (2-0-1) and Simon Fraser (1-0-1) both rank in the top 20 teams of Division II in goals against average. The Saints rank 19th in the division with a .333 goals against average that includes a pair of shutouts. Saint Martin’s goalkeepers Flavia Burrell and Ali Campigotto have conceded just one goal heading into the third week of the season. Burrell is one of three goalkeepers in the conference who has stopped every shot they have faced and will look to maintain that statistic as the Saints host Regis (2-2-0) on Sunday. Simon Fraser sophomore goalkeeper Sarah Loewen will have to wait a bit longer to defend her perfect save percentage as the Red Leafs do not play again until conference competition begins on Thursday, Sept. 21.

COLORADO CALLS: Seattle Pacific (2-2-0) and Western Washington (2-1-0) will both hit the road for Golden, Colo. this week for matches against No. 2 Colorado Mines (3-0-1). The Vikings will be the first to face the Orediggers on Thursday as they come into the week on the heels of a 1-0 win over then-nationally ranked Cal State LA (1-1-1). Western Washington posted its second shutout of the season against the Golden Falcons last week and will need to remain strong on defense against a Colorado Mines offense that ranks fourth in Division II with 10.25 points per game and seventh with 3.5 goals per match. The Vikings will look toward defensive veterans like goalkeeper Claire Henninger and Jayden Nguyen to anchor the back line after both players were key elements in last week’s shutout victory.

W⚽️| More shots from the first half at Harrington as@WWU_WSoccer takes on Cal St. LA. GO VIKS!🤘

📷: Emma Morgan#GoViks pic.twitter.com/hsXVlhN4sJ

— WWU Athletics (@WWUAthletics) September 9, 2023

Seattle Pacific will face the offensive juggernaut that is Colorado Mines on Saturday looking to get back in the win column after a tough 1-0 loss at Chico State last Saturday where the Falcons outshot the Wildcats 21-9. The Falcons will hope that freshman goalkeeper Landry Schoennauer can build on the first shutout of her collegiate career after last week’s 1-0 win over San Francisco State on the road. In the attacking third, the Falcons are led by senior forward Jacqueline Blakeley with four points courtesy of two goals. Blakeley is tied for third in the conference with an average of 2.50 shots per game and is tied for second in the GNAC in points.

FLOAT LIKE A BUTTERFLY, STING LIKE A YELLOWJACKET: Montana State Billings (0-1-1) will look to notch its first win of the young season this week as it makes the trip to Spearfish, S.D. to face Black Hills State (2-2-0) on Thursday. The Yellowjackets contested their first matches of the regular season last week, narrowly falling 1-0 to Minot State (3-0-0) before drawing 2-2 with Carroll College (3-0-1). The MSUB offense has flowed through freshman midfielder Kaari Little and junior defender Sunny Bennion thus far, with both players picking three points via a goal and an assist against Carroll College. Little also leads the GNAC and is one of three players tied for the Division II lead with a perfect 100% shot accuracy after putting all shot of her shots on frame.

ROAD HAWKS: After a 0-0 draw against then No. 12 Hawaii Hilo (1-0-1) last Tuesday and an exhibition match on Saturday, Northwest Nazarene (1-0-2) returns to regular season play on Saturday at Westminster (Utah) (2-1-1). The Nighthawks will aim to keep themselves as one of the four undefeated teams in the conference. Junior goalkeeper Bailey Blancett has been a key part of that early success and is one of four goalkeepers in the GNAC with a perfect 1.000 save percentage. Blancett also leads the conference and is tied for the lead in Division II with three shutouts. Offensively, senior forward Madison Grande continues to lead the team with two points on one goal. While Grande didn’t find the back of the net in regular season play last week, she reminded opponents that they have to keep an eye on her with an immediate impact in NNU’s exhibition match.

Madison Grande scored less than three minutes after subbing in during NNU's exhibition game against Pacific last Saturday! pic.twitter.com/wMtafzWetd

— NNU Nighthawks (@NNUSports) September 11, 2023

WILDCATS HOMECOMING: After securing its first win of the season last Saturday at San Francisco State (0-4-0), Central Washington (1-3-0) returns to Ellensburg for its regular season home opener on Friday. The Wildcats will host Regis (2-2-0) and aim to build off their success in the Golden State. Sophomore midfielder Paige Savage has been the top offensive performer for CWU this season. Savage leads the team and is tied for second in the conference with two goals and four points, including the game-winner in last week’s 2-0 decision over San Francisco State.

Kaari Little - Montana State Billings

Little put herself in the early conversation for freshman of the year after notching a goal and an assist in just the second game of her collegiate career last week. The midfielder from Bellingham, Wash. picked up her first points of the season last Saturday in the Yellowjackets’ 2-2 draw with Carroll College.  Little delivered a perfectly weighted corner kick in the 10th minute of the match to find the head of teammate Sunny Benion and give MSUB the early lead.

Little came through once again in the 72nd minute to score the Yellowjackets’ second goal of the match. After a corner kick that was cleared outside of the Fighting Saints’ box, Little took a short pass from Benion and turned what initially looked like a dangerous cross into a beautiful arcing goal that slotted into the side netting. Little has started both matches of MSUB’s young season and will look to build on that momentum as the Yellowjackets face Black Hills State on Thursday in Spearfish S.D.

The second United Soccer Coaches Division II rankings of the season came out on Sept. 12 with undefeated Western Oregon (3-0-1) making a huge leap up the poll to No. 15 after defeating Colorado Mines 2-1 on the road last Thursday and drawing 0-0 at No. 24 Cal Poly Humboldt last Saturday. The No. 15 ranking marks the first time this season that the Wolves have cracked the top 25 and the first time they have been ranked this highly since Sept. 13, 2022, when they came in at No. 19 in in the poll. Western Washington (2-1-0) slipped out of the top 25 in the rankings for the first time in almost a year despite winning 1-0 over then-nationally ranked Cal State LA (1-1-1).