Our friends up north in Bellingham are getting ready for the start of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) soccer season. Today the Western Washington University Athletic Department released previews of the men's and women's soccer teams.
Viking men looking for a break through return
"We have a ton of returning talent and experience," said Western coach Travis Connell on WWUVikings.com . "And it isn't just time in the program, there's a lot of kids who have played almost every minute since they were freshmen. Our leaders are hungry for success and willing to do the work to achieve it."
"We have a really deep team, and you need that depth if you're going to win both conference and non-conference games," said Connell. "Most of our guys have won a conference title, they've also tasted having their hearts broken. The players are motivated, and they know how to get where they want to be."
The Vikings play eight of the first ten matches on the road.
Viking women want to take the final step
Led by a dynamic pair of experienced forwards and an all-region defender, the Western Washington University women's soccer team will chase a return to the West Regional of the NCAA Division II National Tournament this fall that narrowly eluded the Vikings last season.
The Vikings, who reached the regional final in 2008, narrowly missed out on another post-season berth in 2009 when a tie in the final week of the season left them short of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship and automatic tournament berth.
"Our expectations are to compete for the conference championship and a bid to the tournament," Connell, who also coaches the women, told the school athletic website. "A lot will be decided in the first three games. With a lot of new players coming in, we'll have to solve the riddles quickly."
The Viking women have a four-match home stand between September 6th-18th.
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