TITLE GAME AWAITS THE SEA LIONS
For this first time in the history of the program, the Point Loma women's soccer team will play in the title match of the NCAA West Regional. The No. 5 seeded Sea Lions will face No. 3 seed Western Washington for the regional championship on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. in Bellingham, Wash.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
To keep up with live stats or follow the video stream for the NCAA West regional Championship, click the links below:
Live stats
GNAC.TV
 
TICKET AND PARKING INFO
The box office at Harrington Field will open at 2 p.m. on both Thursday and Saturday. Advance tickets can be purchased online at WWUVikings.com/Tickets. All seating is general admission with prices of $8 for adults and $5 for WWU students, faculty, staff, and seniors (60+). Free parking in the C Lots on the southern edge of the WWU campus will be available for all games during the tournament. Follow directions with signage labeled "Viking Soccer Match" parking.
 
A LOOK AT THE SEA LIONS
PLNU is 14-4-2 on the season and is currently riding a 13-match unbeaten streak. The Sea Lions captured their second straight PacWest Championship with a 9-0-2 record, and they have not been defeated in conference play in over two calendar years. All-West Region selection and 2018 PacWest Player of the Year, Julia Glaser, leads the offense. She has 13 goals and two assists on the season, and the Sea Lions are 10-0-1 in matches that she scores. Defensively, PLNU boasts one of the best backlines and goalies in the region. Goalkeeper Emma Hinson has allowed just two goals in November to help PLNU go 4-0-1 in the month.
 
A LOOK AT THE VIKINGS
Western Washington is 20-2-0 on the season and is currently riding a 16-match winning streak. Six different Vikings have scored at least five goals this season, as WWU has outscored its opponents 57-8. GNAC Player of the Year Karli White (six goals, eight assists) leads the team with 20 points, and Liv Larson is right behind her with 18 points (six goals, six assists). Emily Nelson was named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year. She leads a Vikings' defense that has not allowed a goal in regional play. The Vikings won the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2016 with an undefeated 24-0-1 record, and this is their seventh straight appearance in the NCAA Regional.
 
ROAD THROUGH THE REGIONAL
PLNU faced an uphill battle at each stage of regionals, and it will get no easier when they play No. 3 seed and host Western Washington. Point Loma has already knocked off No. 4 seed Cal Poly Pomona, which defeated PLNU on their home field earlier this season, and then it pulled off nearly the impossible feat of defeating No. 1 seed UC San Diego on their home field to advance to the regional title game.
 
THE SEA LIONS ARE STREAKING
Everything turned for the Sea Lions once they began PacWest play. Since opening conference play on Oct. 3 at Holy Names, PLNU has put together a 13-match winning streak (11-0-2) to earn their second straight PacWest Championship and first appearance in the regional championship game. During this run, Point Loma has outscored its opponents 35-7 with seven shutouts. This unbeaten streak comes a season after PLNU put together a 17-match unbeaten streak.
 
FLIPPING THE SCRIPT
A season after allowing just one goal in 11 PacWest matches, Point Loma has picked it up offensively. PLNU paced the PacWest during the 2019 season in assists (39), goals (42) and points (123). It ranked 19th in the country with 1.95 assists per game and 34th in total points (123).
 
ROAD TESTED
The road has been kind to the Sea Lions, who are 7-1-1 away from the friendly confines of the PLNU Soccer Field. Point Loma has not dropped a road game since falling 1-0 at APU in a non-conference match on Sept. 26. It has outscored its opponents 20-3 since that game.
 
HISTORIC VICTORY
The Sea Lions' win at UC San Diego in the semifinals of the NCAA West Regional was the first loss for the Tritons at home since Sept. 11, 2016. During that streak, UCSD went 42-0-1 and won multiple CCAA titles. This was the first win for Point Loma in the history of the crosstown rivalry (5-1-0), and it was also UC San Diego's final game in NCAA Division II, as they will move to Division I next season.
 
GLASER, O'MALLEY EARN REGIONAL HONORS
Forward Julia Glaser and central defender Lauren O'Malley were each honored as D2CCA All-West Region selections. Glaser earned first team all-region honors while O'Malley was named to the all-region second team. Glaser ranked second in the PacWest in goals (13) and points per game (1.67) to earn all-regional honors for the second straight season. O'Malley earned her first all-region selection after helping anchor the Sea Lions' defense that allowed just 0.75 goals per game.
 
PACWEST AWARDS
The Point Loma women's soccer team placed a school-record 10 student-athletes on the 2019 All-PacWest Conference team, and Makenna Herrero was named the PacWest Newcomer of the Year. Kristi Kiely also garnered PacWest Coach of the Year honors for the second consecutive season. Julia Glaser, Abbi Swanson, Hailey Clifford, and Lauren O'Malley each collected first team all-conference honors. Abbey Teagle, Makenna Herrero, Jacqui Gerarden, Courtney Seman, and Emma Hinson were all placed on the second team, and Rachel Carrell earned a third team selection.
 
SERIES VS. WESTERN WASHINGTON
This will be just the second meeting between the two schools, and the first occurred in the 2018 season opener. The Sea Lions hosted the Vikings, who were ranked No. 7 nationally, in coach Kristi Kiely's debut. PLNU took the No. 7 ranked team in the country to double overtime, but the Vikings were able to come away with the win on a goal in the 107th minute. PLNU initially gave up the go-ahead goal in the second minute but fought back to tie it up at 1-1 in Lauren O'Malley's header. This was the first time in 55 matches that WWU did not outshoot its opponent.
 
COACH KRISTI KIELY
Since taking over the Point Loma women's soccer program prior to the 2018 season, coach Kristi Kiely has led PLNU to a 30-6-3 record. The 30 wins are the second-most ever for PLNU over a two-year stretch. She also became just the second Point Loma coach to lead the Sea Lions to back-to-back conference titles, and the first two lead them into the NCAA Regional Championship. She has earned PacWest Coach of the Year both seasons.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
The winner of the NCAA West Regional will face the winner of the South Central Regional on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 3 p.m for a berth into the NCAA Division II semifinals in Pittsburgh (Dec. 12-14). Prior to the Sea Lions' game on Thursday, Dallas Baptist (17-0-3) will face Dixie State (11-3-6) to determine the South Central Championship at 3 p.m.