WOU WOMEN'S SOCCER (6-5-8)

GNAC STANDINGS | GNAC STATS | WOU STATS | WOU STAT RANKINGS
 
GNAC CHAMPIONSHIPS
Seattle, Wash. | Interbacy Stadium (Seattle Pacific Campus)
THURSDAY
4 p.m.: No. 4 seed Western Oregon vs. No. 1 seed Western Washington
7 p.m.: No. 3 seed Simon Fraser vs. No. 2 seed Seattle Pacific
SATURDAY
1 p.m.: Championship Match
Live Stream & Stat Links
 
THE WOLVES HEADING INTO THE CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Wolves come into the GNAC Championships coming off a pair of wins last week - a 1-0 win over Central Washington on Thursday and a 2-0 win over Northwest Nazarene on Saturday. WOU's Olivia Fothergill was named the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week after scoring the lone goal Thursday and setting up the first goal against NNU on Saturday with an assist.

Fothergill and Ciara Garcia lead the Wolves in scoring with four goals apiece (tied for eighth in the GNAC) - with three of Fothergill's game-winners (tied for second in the GNAC). WOU keeper Sophia Pierce is second in teh GNAC in goals against average (.743), save percentage (.851) and shutouts per game (.421)

THE REST OF THE FIELD ... 
Western Washington enters as one of the hottest teams in the NCAA, having gone 11-0-3 since Sept. 23 - including a 1-1 draw at Seattle Pacific Thursday and a 3-0 win at MSU Billings on Saturday. The Vikings are second in teh GNAC in scoring average (1.737) and first in opponents scoring average (.47).

In the other game - No. 2 SPU vs. No. 3 SFU - the host Falcons are 9-2-7 on the season after playing Western Washington to a 1-1 draw at home Thursday before a scoreless draw against SFU on Saturday. SFU is 12-3-3 this season, coming off a 1-0 win at MSUB on Thursday and the scoreless draw against SPU.
 
WOU vs GNAC CHAMPIONSHIPS OPPONENTS THIS SEASON
Combined: 
#1 seed Western Washington

• Oct. 5, 1-1 draw at Western Washington
• Oct. 31, 2-0 loss in Monmouth

#2 seed Seattle Pacific 

• Oct. 12, 0-0 draw in Monmouth
• Oct. 24, 0-0 draw at Seattle Pacific

#3 seed Simon Fraser

• Oct. 3, 2-1 loss at Simon Fraser
• Nov. 2, 1-0 loss in Monmouth

CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES

• 1997 CCC Semifinals: Western Baptist - W, 2-0
• 1997 CCC Finals: at Concordia - W, 3-2 (OT) 
• 1998 CCC Semifinals: at Western Baptist - L, 2-0 (2 OT)
• 2012 GNAC Semifinals: vs. Western Washington% - L, 2-0
• 2013 GNAC Semifinals: vs. #11 Western Washington% - L, 2-1 (OT)
• 2019 GNAC Semifinals: at Seattle Pacific - L, 4-1
• 2023 GNAC Semifinals: vs. Western Washington^ - L, 2-1 

Conference Tournament Record 2-5 
CCC Tournament Record 2-1 
GNAC Tournament Record 0-4
% at Tukwila, WA (Starfire Sports Complex)
^ at Ellensburg, WA

NOTES
FOUR WOLVES SELECTED FOR ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS - GNAC RELEASE
The Western Oregon women's soccer team had four players named to All-GNAC teams. Jada Foster was named to the first team while Ciara Garcia, Lulu Sadler and Sophia Pierce were named to the second team.

DRAW ... 8
WOU with its eight draws this season has set a new program record - the previous high was six, done twice (2013, 2023).

As a team, the Wolves have a streak of 617 minutes, 33 seconds without allowing a goal and six consecutive shutouts - both a school records. Because Pierce split time in the win over Saint Martin's (played 45 minutes), she wasn't credited with a shutout in that contest so her shutout streak is at two.

A record scoreless streak ...
The Wolves put together a school-record scoreless streak of 628 minutes, 49 seconds, this season between Oct. 5-31 with a WOU-record six consecutive shutouts wedged between.

Pierce named GNAC Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 28)
Western Oregon goalkeeper Sophia Pierce was named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 28 in a week where she played a big part in keeping the Wolves' school-record scoreless streak going. Pierce collected 16 saves during the week while posting shutouts against Seattle Pacific on Thursday and Montana State Billings on Saturday - both scoreless draws for the Wolves. Against SPU, Pierce came up big with a career-high 12 saves while facing 23 shots. Against MSUB, the junior had four saves and faced seven shots. 

Pierce eventually set a WOU-record scoreless streak of 583 minutes, 49 seconds. Pierce's 14 career shutouts in less than two seasons has her third on the WOU all-time list, behind only Cyrstal Wells (17, 1997-2000) and Amanda Rose Johnson (15, 2013-14). Her career goals against average of 0.75 and 0.833 save percentage are both second on WOU's all-time list - behind only Johnson in both categories (0.59 GAA, 0.875 save percentage).

Garcia named GNAC Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 30)
WOU sophomore forward Ciara Garcia was named GNAC Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week after scoring 2 goals and recording an assist during the previous week. Garcia had a two-goal performance in the Wolves 4-2 win at Northwest Nazarene while also picking up an assist on the only goal scored during WOU's GNAC opener against Saint Martin's.

First 2-0 start to GNAC play in school history
With WOU's 2-0 start to conference play, the Wolves start conference play without a loss or tie for the first time since entering the GNAC in 2001. The last time WOU started conference play 2-0 was in 2000, starting 4-0 during its inaugural season in the NCAA as part of the PacWeat - the only year it would play as part of the conference. The last time the Wolves started conference play undefeated was in 2014 when they won, then tied.

Ranked Opponents Unbeaten Streak Continues
The Wolves continue to shine against top competition as they are 2-0-3 against ranked opponents in their previous five games after picking up a draw against No. 6 UCCS on Sept. 5. 

• 1-1 tie vs. #6 UCCS, 9/5/24
• 1-1 tie vs. #22 Seattle Pacific, 10/19/23
• 2-1 win at #5 Western Washington, 10/27/22
• 1-0 win at #20 Sonoma State, 8/25/22
• 1-1 tie vs. #14 Western Washington, 11/4/21

First season-opening draw in program history
The Wolves' 1-1 draw against No. 6 UCCS on Sept. 5 marked the first time the program has opened the season with a draw since the program began in 1996.

Wolves picked fourth in GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll
The Western Oregon women's soccer team was picked fourth in the GNAC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll.

WOU picked up 37 points in the poll, finishing behind Western Washington (59), Seattle Pacific (55) and Simon Fraser (52) and ahead of Northwest Nazarene (30), Central Washington (22), Montana State Billings (19) and Saint Martin's (15). The Wolves are coming off a third-place finish in the conference in 2023 - going 5-4-5 in GNAC play and 8-5-6 overall, tied for the second-most wins for the program and the fewest losses since the 2013 team went 9-4-6. WOU last season qualified for the GNAC Championships, falling the semifinals to Western Washington.