ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University women's soccer team travels to Bellingham, Washington to play rival No. 17 Western Washington.
 
MATCH INFORMATION
vs No. 17 Western Washington
Thursday, Oct. 3
7:00 p.m. PT
Bellingham, Washington
 
QUOTABLE
"It's a Western game, so for us it's a rivalry match," CWU Head Coach Michael Farrand said.  "Playing away up there at night is a big challenge.  Western is one of the GNAC's top teams and have been for a while.  Travis produces solid players and they are a high-level test for us.  If we do the things we do well, it'll be a chance for us to be successful up there."
 
SCOUTING No. 17 Western Washington | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | 2018 STATS| 2019 STATS
The Vikings enter the week with a record of 5-2-0 and they are 1-0-0 in GNAC play. 
 
Their last outing was a 3-0 victory over Simon Fraser on Saturday (Sept. 28).  Karli White started the scoring for WWU with a goal in the 15^th minute.  Liv Larson and Emily Nelson added goals late in the second half.  Western took 26 shots over 90 minutes, bombarding the Clan's keeper with 16 shots in the first half. 
 
Larson leads the Vikings with three goals.  She is also tied for the team lead in assists with three, giving her a team-high nine points.  Karli White has recorded two goals and three assists.  Both White and Nelson have a pair of goals scored.  Grace Eversaul and Jenna Killman round out the goal scorers for WWU with a goal each.
 
Natalie Dierickx handles the duties in net for the Vikings.  In seven games thus far she has a record of 5-2-0.  Dierickx has allowed three goals, and made 20 saves, on 65 shots faced. She has just one clean sheet, however.
 
Western Washington graduated a strong clas last year, including defender Taylor Hallquist and forward Gabriela Pelogi.  During the 2018 season, Pelogi scored nine goals to lead the Vikings' offense.  Five of her nine goals were game winners.  Pelogi earned United Soccer Coaches All-America Second Team honors, United Soccer Coaches and D2CCA All-West Region First Team Honors, and was also a First Team All-GNAC selection.
 
Hallquist appeared in 20 games for Travis Connell last season.  She totaled 1,270 minutes with four goals and four assists during the regular season.  Joining Hallquist among the graduated defenders was Hattie North.  She appeared in 23 games, coming off the bench in 19.  She recorded 1,272 minutes and scored one goal.
 
Through seven games this season, Western Washington is averaging 19.3 shots, but are only scoring at a clip of 1.29 goals per game.  Defensively, the Vikings have been stingy.  They have only allowed their opponents 9.3 shots per game and hold a goals against average of just 0.43.  Opponents have found the back of the Vikings' net only three times on young season.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Wildcats captured a 2-1 victory over Simon Fraser University in their GNAC opener. 
 
After 45 minutes of play, the score held at 0-0.  Madison Hinkel scored her first collegiate goal in the 61^st minute with an assist from Peyton Vogel.  After an equalizing goal from the SFU's Giuliana Zaufrini in the 85^th minute, Central and Simon Fraser headed for extra time.
 
Vogel came through for the Wildcats with a goal in the 99^th minute.  Her golden goal winner was the second goal of her freshman campaign.
 
Megan Fox turned aside seven shots for the victory, including one in overtime.
 
CWU v WWU History
The Vikings have had the run of the series dating back to 2002.  The Wildcats sit at 3-26-5 since 2002 against Western Washington.  In Bellingham, the Wildcats are just 1-13-3. 
 
Central Washington's largest margin of victory over the Vikings came on October 19, 2003, when the Wildcats nabbed a 2-0 victory over WWU.  The Wildcats last win over WWU in Bellingham came on October 6, 2007 in a 1-0 affair.  Their last overall win against Western Washington came on October 13, 2011 when goals from Alex Jensen and Carson McKole led the Wildcats over the Vikings 2-1.  Kayla Lipston made seven saves en route to the victory.