NAMPA, Idaho – Due to a combination of factors which has significantly reduced its roster, Northwest Nazarene women's soccer will not make the trip to British Columbia to play Simon Fraser this Thursday, Sept. 30.
 
In July 2021, the Canadian government announced that it would not allow unvaccinated individuals to enter Canada. Coupled with injuries and passport issues, NNU does not have enough players to field a team for Thursday night's match. As a result, the match will be declared a forfeit according to GNAC Infectious Disease Policy.
 
The GNAC Management Council and CEO Board, which is comprised of individuals from each member institution, approved updates to the Policy earlier in September that, "The inability of student-athletes or coaches to participate due to a local vaccination requirement does not qualify as a legitimate reason to not participate in a conference competition. A member's decision to not compete for this reason will result in a forfeit loss for the team canceling and a forfeit win for the opposing team for purposes of the conference standings only."
 
Northwest Nazarene submitted an appeal to have the result switched from a forfeit to a no-contest based on its understanding of how the timing of the border requirements should impact a team. That appeal was denied by the GNAC's Appeals Committee.
 
For the purposes of conference standings, the forfeit will be reflected in the win/loss record of both Northwest Nazarene and Simon Fraser. The forfeit will not be factored into NCAA regional rankings or in the overall win/loss record for either team.
 
The Nighthawks will now set their sights on No. 10 Western Washington as they visit Bellingham on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. Pacific.