Western Washington University Women's Soccer

The 2025 season marks the 23rd season Travis Connell has led the Western Washington University women’s soccer program … has 29 total seasons as a coach with WWU soccer (men's and women's) dating back to 1996, which includes 14 seasons as the WWU Men's Coach from 1999-2012 (125-123-17) ... compiled 450 career victories as a WWU head coach … has led the WWU women's program to a 325-89-46 (.757) record with 13 appearances in the NCAA Division II Championships ... WWU has recorded 21 consecutive winning seasons (319-76-45/.776) during this stretch dating back to 2004 ... head coach of the 2016 and 2022 NCAA II National Champions ... WWU has played in the NCAA II West Regional Final in nine of the last 12 seasons, and made five trips to the NCAA II National Championships (Final Four) ... Vikings played for the national title in 2019, losing a 1-0 overtime contest to Grand Valley State (the team WWU beat in 2016 to win the title). DOMINATING THE GNAC WWU won its 12th GNAC regular-season title in 2024 with a 11-0-3 record ... went 12-0-0 to win the 2019 GNAC title marking the Vikings fifth undefeated run through the conference slate ... have won the GNAC title in eight of the last 12 seasons ... claimed the 2022 GNAC Championships title in 2022 for the sixth trophy in 10 years of the event. WEST REGION & NATIONAL SUCCESS The Vikings have played in the West Region Championship match in nine of the last 12 seasons (2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022), while winning five West Region titles (2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2022) ... WWU is a perfect 5-0 in national quarterfinal contests, hosting four of those events in Bellingham ... advanced to play in the NCAA II National Championships in 2013 (Evans, GA), 2015 (Pensacola, FL), 2016 (Kansas City, MO), 2019 (Pittsburgh, PA) and 2022 (Seattle, WA) ... WWU is 29-10-1 all-time in NCAA II Championships play. 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS The Vikings won the 2022 NCAA Division II National Championship with a 19-2-4 record, conceding only three goals over seven postseason matches … Conceded just 13 goals all-season while keeping 15 clean-sheets for a goals against average of 0.52 ... beat #1 ranked West Chester in the national championship game 2-1 in front of a sold-out pro-WWU crowd at Seattle's Interbay Stadium … led the NSCAA Division II Staff of the Year ... coached three All-Americans in Morgan Manalili, Estera Levinte and Division II Player of the Year Tera Ziemer as well as having eight players recognized on the All-GNAC team. 2019 NATIONAL RUNNER-UP The Vikings advanced to the NCAA Division II National Championship match in 2019, finishing with a 23-3-0 record ... defeated by Grand Valley State 1-0 in double-overtime ... recorded a 19-game winning streak that was snapped in the national title match, the third-longest winning streak in program history ... marked eighth consecutive season with at least 15 victories ... set a conference record with 12 GNAC Player of the Week selections (10 different players) ... six players earned All-West Region honors and five players were selected as All-Americans ... finished with No. 2 national ranking by the United Soccer Coaches ... led NCAA Division II with a 0.341 goals against average. 2016 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS The Vikings won the 2016 NCAA Division II National Championship with an undefeated 24-0-1 record, putting together a 24-game winning streak after a season-opening tie … beat three-time defending champion Grand Valley State in the national championship game 3-2 in Kansas City … led the NSCAA Division II Staff of the Year ... coached four All-Americans (Sierra Shugarts, Emily Webster, Caitlyn Jobanek, Ashley Homer) and had eight players recognized on the All-GNAC team. THE WINNING STREAK WWU set a program and GNAC record with a 39-game winning streak spanning the 2016 and 2017 seasons ... was the 4th-longest winning streak in NCAA Division II history ... also had a 40-game unbeaten streak (39-0-1 to tie for 4th-longest in Division II history), 30-game home winning streak at Harrington Field, 23-game road winning streak and 64-game unbeaten streak vs. conference opponents (58-0-6) that all carried into the 2017 season. THE NATIONAL RANKINGS Connell has helped WWU to a final national ranking in the top 25 in 2008 (#10), 2012 (#13), 2013 (#3), 2014 (#17), 2015 (#3), 2016 (#1), 2017 (#8), 2018 (#11), 2019 (#2), 2021 (#10) and 2022 (#1) … appeared in 107 of the last 110 national polls (including receiving votes) between 2012 and 2021. WHAT A DECADE WWU combined to go 179-26-16 (.846) from 2010-19, recording the third-best record during the decade among NCAA II programs ... trailed only Grand Valley State (224-15-15) and Central Missouri (195-22-12) ... four national semifinal appearances were also 3rd-most among NCAA II programs (GVSU-9, Saint Rose-5) ... 179 wins during the decade were also 6th-most among all women's collegiate soccer programs at the NCAA I, II and III levels. MOST WINS 2010-2019 All-NCAA Women's Programs GRAND VALLEY STATE  (DII) 224 MESSIAH  (DIII) 215 STANFORD  (DI) 206 CENTRAL MISSOURI  (DII) 195 FLORIDA STATE  (DI) 184 WESTERN WASH.  (DII) 179 COLUMBUS STATE  (DII) 178 VIRGINIA  (DI) 177 NORTH CAROLINA  (DI) 175 WASHU  (DIII) 175 HARRINGTON FIELD Since Harrington Field made its debut as WWU's on-campus soccer facility on the south edge of campus, the Vikings have combined to go 92-7-9 for a .894 winning percentage ... hosted NCAA II Championship games at Harrington Field in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022. NCAA RECORD BOOK Entering the 2020/21 season, Connell is listed in several charts in the NCAA Women's Soccer Record Book ... career winning percentage of .762 is listed 29th all-time in NCAA history across all divisions and 18th among active head coaches ... among active NCAA II coaches, winning percentage is 5th-best and 261 victories are No. 14 ... listed No. 10 in NCAA II history in winning percentage (min. 10 years as head coach) and 23rd in total wins.  ADDITIONAL COACHING EXPERIENCE Was WWU head men's coach for 14 seasons from 1999-2012, recording a 125-123-17 record, best in school history … GNAC Coach of the Year in 2002, 2007 and 2008, directing Vikings to league titles in 2002 and 2008 … also an assistant coach for the men’s program for three seasons … holds USSF National "A" Coaching License, highest coaching license available … Washington State ODP Boys staff coach in 1999 and coached at Oak Harbor High School from 1995-98 … was Coaching Director for WFC Rangers, a local select club in Bellingham … played two years professionally with Lafayette (LA) Swampcats, which won Eastern Indoor Soccer League title in 1998 and the Everett BigFoot, winning PDL Northwest Championship in 1997.  Overall GNAC Year W L T Pct. W L T Pct. Finish Games 2003 6 13 1 .325 3 8 1 .292 5 20 2004 12 7 1 .625 7 4 1 .625 3 20 2005 9 8 2 .526 6 5 1 .542 3 19 2006 14 5 1 .725 7 2 1 .750 2 20 2007 13 6 1 .675 8 5 1 .607 3 20 2008 17 3 2 .818 10 0 2 .917 1 22 2009 11 4 4 .684 8 1 3 .792 2 19 2010 10 4 4 .667 7 4 3 .607 4 18 2011 10 5 3 .639 9 4 1 .679 3 18 2012 19 4 0 .826 12 2 0 .857 1 23 2013 20 2 1 .891 13 1 0 .929 1 23 2014 16 1 4 .857 11 0 3 .893 1 21 2015 21 2 1 .896 11 0 1 .958 1 24 2016 24 0 1 .980 12 0 0 1.000 1 25 2017 18 2 0 .900 11 1 0 .917 2 20 2018 18 3 2 .826 10 1 1 .875 1 23 2019 23 3 0 .885 12 0 0 1.000 1 26 2020 4 1 2 .714 0 0 0 --- --- 7 2021 15 5 3 .717 10 3 1 .750 2 23 2022 19 2 4 .826 11 1 2 .857 1 25 2023 12 5 4 .635 9 2 3 .714 2 21 2024 14 4 5 .717 11 0 3 .893 1 23 Totals 325 89 46 .757 198 44 28 .785 437 PRIOR TO WWU Earned bachelor's degree in 1995 at Seattle Pacific University … three-year starter, four-year letterwinner and was team captain as a senior for the Falcons … started on SPU's 1993 NCAA Division II National Championship team … scored tying goal with 65 seconds left in 6-5 national semifinal win over Florida Tech … played on four Falcon teams that reached the national playoffs … 1991 graduate of Oak Harbor High School … his father, John, was head boys soccer coach at Oak Harbor HS and his brother, Caleb, lettered four years in soccer at Seattle Pacific … he and wife Georgianne, a four-time All-America gymnast at Seattle Pacific, have one son, Gracen, and two daughters, Bella Rae and Luca Joy. Updated Aug. 6, 2025

Entering 14th season as an assistant coach for the 2025 season ... Vikings advanced to NCAA Tournament in 12 of 13 seasons that Arthurs has been on staff, reaching the NCAA II Final Four in five of those years and winning the NCAA II National Championship in 2016 and 2022 ... Member of the 2016 and 2022 United Soccer Coaches Staff of the Year ... WWU has won GNAC regular-season during 7 seasons with Arthurs on staff, also claiming the GNAC Tournament title in five of those seasons ... Has coached numerous All-GNAC and All-West Region selections, and as former goalkeeper during playing career has coached All-American GK Natalie Dierickx (1st Team All-American, 1st Team All-West Region), Ashley Homer (3rd Team All-American, 1st Team All-West Region) Ashley Haden (Two-time 2nd Team All-West Region), and Claire Henninger (Two-time 2nd Team All-West Region)... WWU players have earned a total of 21 All-American honors during Arthurs' tenure as assistant coach ... also part of the leadership for the Whatcom FC Rangers club soccer program. PLAYING CAREER: Completed bachelor's degree in Kinesiology in 2013 ... 2012-13 WWU Female co-Athlete of the Year ... Set school records as goalkeeper with 39 shutouts, which ranked sixth nationally, and 0.58 goals against average during four-year career ... Second-team National Soccer Coaches Association of America and Daktronics All-American as senior in 2012 ... Led nation in GAA with school and GNAC-record 0.39 average per game and ranked seventh nationally in save percentage at 88.2 ... Had Great Northwest Athletic Conference and school-record 16 shutouts, one shy of national record ... Helped Vikings place first nationally as team in GAA, second in save percentage (89.2) and third in shutout percentage (69.6) ... Allowed just nine goals in 23 games, during one stretch recording 10 straight shutouts and posting scoreless string of 919 minutes and 29 seconds, both school records ... Made 67 saves in 2,101 minutes and 50 seconds ... Played every minute of every game ... First-team NSCAA and Daktronics West Region all-star ... GNAC Player of the Year ... First-team GNAC all-star ... Twice named GNAC defensive Player of the Week ... Second-team NSCAA and Daktronics West Region and first-team GNAC all-star as junior in 2011 ... Started all 18 games ... Had 11 shutouts and GAA of 0.55 ... Allowed just 10 goals in 1,643 minutes ... Made 44 saves for save percentage of .815 (67th nationally) ... Ranked 13th nationally in GAA ... Led GNAC in both shutout total and GAA ... GNAC Player of the Week ... Had 11 shutouts and GAA of 0.52 as sophomore in 2010 ... Second-team GNAC all-star ... Allowed 10 goals while starting all 18 games and playing all 1732:10 minutes ... Made 78 saves for save percentage of .886 ... Ranked 13th nationally in save percentage and 16th in GAA ... Played in five games as freshman in 2009, making four starts ... Allowed nine goals (2.05 avg.) and made 11 saves (.550), while posting one shutout ... Had assist in 1-0 win against Sonoma State ... Redshirt in 2008 ... Four letters ... Second-team Class 4A all-State selection as senior at Richland High School ... First-team Tri-City Herald all-Area and all-Columbia Basin League pick ... Team captain ... Had 0.29 goals against average and 15 shutouts on 17-4 team that tied for league title and placed fourth at state tournament ... Second-team all-league and team MVP as junior ... Allowed just four goals on 19-1 squad that won league championship and reached state quarterfinals ... Honorable mention all-league forward as sophomore on team that was league champion and state runner-up ... Most improved and inspirational award winner ... As freshman played on squad that won league title and reached state quarterfinals ... Started and lettered four years ... Also earned three letters in basketball and one each in track and golf ... Her father, David, played basketball at University of Calgary. Updated Aug. 6, 2025