LACEY, Wash./BELLINGHAM, Wash. – After having last week off, the Western Oregon University women's soccer team begins Great Northwest Athletic Conference play this week traveling to Saint Martin's on Thursday at 3 p.m. and #8 Western Washington on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.
The Wolves (1-3) last played on Sep. 12 picking up a 1-0 home shutout victory over Humboldt State. Jada Foster picked up the only goal of the game in the 12th minute off of a rebound shot by Piper Matson. Chloe Smith originally pushed the ball upfield to Matson to help set the play up.
WOU has played four close games so far this regular season with three games being decided by a goal and the other by two goals. The defense has allowed just five goals. The back row has been the same throughout this season with Jenna Efraimson, Hannah Rispler, Kaytlyn Larsen and Holly Schmitz all playing over 300 minutes this year. Efraimson has played all 360 minutes this year. In goal, Darien Walton has played all but one half this year and picked up the shutout win over Humboldt State coming away with four saves. Overall on the season, Walton has 15 saves and a 75 percent save percentage to go along with a 1.43 goals against average.
Foster has both goals this season for the Wolves, picking up a goal on the road at Colorado Mesa in the second game of the season. Rispler, Smith and Matson all have assists. Smith leads the way in shots with nine, landing three on goal. Foster has four shots, with three also on goal. Gabby Pulliam and Briana Kubli each have two shots on goal.
WOU played Saint Martin's twice during the shortened 2021 spring season with each team winning on their home fields. The Wolves won 3-2 in Monmouth as the teams battled the wind and the rain in March playing on the turf field. WOU scored just over a minute in by Alyssa Tomasini and Camille Darland and Matson each recorded their first collegiate goals in the game. The Saints fought back with a pair of goals in the second half to provide the final margin of 3-2. Just a week later, the teams played in Lacey with Saint Martin's claiming the 1-0 victory. Tomasini tallied three shots and Lilly Nowatzke added two. During the 2019 season, the teams met in Lacey with WOU taking the 1-0 victory. Over the past 10 meetings, WOU holds a slight 5-4-1 advantage and have gone 4-6-3 in Lacey since 2007.
Saint Martin's is 1-3 on the season and are coming off of a 4-0 win over Evergreen State back on Sep. 13. They've played several close games like the Wolves having dropped the other three games by a total of four goals, with two games being 1-0 scores. After being shutout over the first three games, the Saints broke out for all of their goals against Evergreen State. In that game, Mia Fleming, Daeh Lindquist, Kiersten Madsen and Salma Perez all scored a goal. Jordyn Jolley has played the most minutes (346) and Madsen has the most shots (9), with three landing on goal. Ali Campigotto is back in goal and has played 315 minutes, going 1-3 with 16 saves and an 80 percent save percentage.
WOU will face #8 Western Washington on Saturday to close the road trip. The Vikings jumped in the national rankings after picking up a 2-1 win over then No. 5 Sonoma State. That was the same trip that WOU faced the Seawolves earlier in the week. Other wins for Western Washington include Adams State and Biola. They tied Colorado School of Mines on the road.
WWU is 3-0-2 on the year, as they began this week with a 1-1 home draw against #22 Point Loma on Monday. The Vikings will play at Simon Fraser on Thursday before hosting WOU to end the week.
The Vikings have gone 9-0-1 over the past 10 meetings with the one tie coming in 2014 in Monmouth. The teams met in Vancouver, Wash., this past spring season with WWU taking the 3-0 victory. In fact, since the 1-1 tie in 2014, WOU hasn't recorded a goal against the Vikings over the past eight games. WWU is 20-1 at home against WOU with that one win coming back in 2001 by a 2-1 score.
Tera Ziemer leads the team with eight points off of four goals. Sophie Butterfield and Estera Levinte each add three points. The Vikings have scored six goals and allowed just two. Outside of the goalie Natalie Dierickx logging the most minutes, defender Makenzie Burks has played 410 minutes. In goal, Dierickx has played all 490 minutes, posting 15 saves, an 88.2 save percentage and a 0.37 goals against average.
Live video and stats will be available for both games.
For the Saint Martin's game, live video can be found here and live stats can be found here.
For the Western Washington game, live video can be found here and live stats can be found here.
