MONMOUTH, Ore. – While the road game at nationally-ranked Western Washington didn't end in a victory for the Western Oregon University women's soccer team last time out, they went right to the end with the Vikings. The Wolves will look to carry that momentum with them into a pair of home games this week when they play #7 Seattle Pacific on Thursday at 2 p.m. and Montana State Billings on Saturday at 11 a.m.
WOU (1-5, 0-2 GNAC) recorded their first goal against the Vikings since 2014 and almost forced the game into overtime when Western Washington scored a late goal. Piper Matson recorded the goal for the Wolves, with Lilly Nowatzke adding the assist. Each team landed six shots on net. WOU played a very close game earlier on the road trip against Saint Martin's as the teams combined for 23 shots (11 for WOU), but the Saints were able to score the only two goals of the game to take the 2-0 victory.
For the season, WOU has tallied 53 shots with 24 landing on goal. Opponents have taken 81 shots with 32 landing on goal. The Wolves have generated 30 corner kicks and both Darien Walton and Emily Wheeler have combined for 23 saves in goal.
Jada Foster leads the team with two goals, while Matson adds the other. Matson, Hannah Rispler, Nowatzke and Chloe Smith all have added assists. Rispler has logged the most time on the field with 523 minutes, followed by both Foster and Kaytlyn Larsen playing 472 minutes. Smith leads the team in shots with 16, tallying six on goal. Foster adds eight shots and both Liz Parker and Rispler have four shots apiece. In goal, Walton has started all six games, coming away with 20 saves and picked up a shutout against Humboldt State. Wheeler has tallied a trio of saves this year playing in 90 minutes.
Individually, Foster is 102nd nationally and third in the GNAC in game-winning goals (1), Smith is 118th nationally and fifth in the GNAC in total assists (2) and Walton is 132rd nationally and fourth in the GNAC in goalie minutes played and is 123rd nationally and fourth in the GNAC in total saves (25).
Seattle Pacific enters the week 5-0 overall and 2-0 in GNAC play. The Falcons rolled to a pair of conference games this past week defeating Montana State Billings by a 5-0 score and then Northwest Nazarene by a score of 6-0. Seattle Pacific has put together four straight shutouts with the only goal allowed this year in the season-opener at Chico State.
As a team, the Falcons have tallied 86 shots with 48 landing on goal. They have limited opponents to 36 shots and 16 on goal. They have generated 35 corner kicks and have allowed only eight.
AJ DePinto leads the team with nine points, recording four goals. Sophia Chilczuk adds eight points with two goals and four assists. Lauren Foster has three goals, while Sophie Beadle and Makena Rietz add two goals apiece. Twelve players on the team have at least two points this year. Travis Riley has started all five games in goal, coming away with 11 saves, a 0.22 goals against average and a 91.7 save percentage.
Seattle Pacific has gone 9-1-0 over the past 10 meetings in the series as WOU picked up the 2-0 win in Monmouth during the 2019 season that was the first win for WOU against SPU since 2002. The teams played twice in 2021 with both games being played in Seattle. The Falcons won the first game, 5-0, and won the second meeting, 4-0.
WOU will then close the week with another GNAC contest against Montana State Billings. The Yellowjackets are 4-2-1 overall on the season and 1-1-0 in GNAC play. This past week they opened GNAC play with a 5-0 loss at Seattle Pacific before returning home to defeat Central Washington, 2-1.
Overall this season, MSUB has taken 104 shots with 54 landing on goal. Opponents have taken 78 shots with 48 on goal. They have 22 corner kicks to 27 for opponents.
Liberty Palmer has paced the Yellowjackets through the first seven games tallying seven points and three goals. Jordan Roe adds two goals and Maddie Smith has four points with a goal and two assists. Clare Keenan has started five games and is 2-2-1 with 27 saves and a 1.57 goals against average. She is coming off of a nine-save win against the Wildcats.
Montana State Billings has gone 5-3-2 over the last 10 meetings with the Wolves as the two teams split the 2019 meetings. WOU won at home (3-1), while MSUB took the 1-0 win in Montana. The Yellowjackets have gone 4-0-1 over the last five meetings in Billings with the last WOU win coming in 2013 (3-2).
Fans are allowed to attend and remember to wear a mask.
Live video and stats will be available for both games. Live video can be found here and live stats can be found here.
