NAMPA, Idaho - The No. 19 NNU men's soccer team will hit the road for two GNAC matches against Western Washington with a 7 PM PT kickoff on Thursday and Simon Fraser with an 11 AM PT kickoff on Saturday.
The Nighthawks
The Nighthawks enter the week with a 6-1-3 overall record and a 1-0 record in GNAC play while riding a four-game winning streak. NNU opened the season with three straight draws against Westminster (Utah), MSU Denver, and Cal Poly Humboldt before picking up its first win of the season with a 1-0 decision over Menlo. The Nighthawks followed with a 1-0 upset over No. 12 Fort Lewis before suffering their lone loss of the season against Colorado Mesa. Since then, NNU has rattled off four straight wins over West Texas A&M, St. Mary's (Texas), No. 10 Seattle Pacific, and Jamestown.
Northwest Nazarene has scored 14 goals this season while averaging 1.40 goals per game and has given up just eight goals for a 0.80 goals against average. The Nighthawks have outshot opponents 101-86 and are averaging 10.1 shots per game while allowing 8.6. NNU has put 46 shots on frame for a 45.5 shots on goal percentage while opponents have put 39 of their 86 attempts on target. The Nighthawks have also recorded five shutouts through their first 10 matches.
Caleb Putney has led the Nighthawk offense with six goals, two assists, and 14 points while recording 23 shots and 12 shots on goal. Jim Wagenaar follows with two goals, one assist, and five points while Rylan McPherson has added two goals and four points. Alex Barragan and Abdullahi Sharif have each recorded one goal and one assist while Carson Din and Kwame Kwakye have each tallied two assists. Putney has scored three goals over the last two matches, including a brace in NNU's 3-2 upset over No. 10 Seattle Pacific, earning him GNAC Offensive Player of the Week
Elijah Brockl has appeared in nine games with eight starts in goal and has allowed seven goals for a 0.79 goals against average. Brockl has secured 27 saves for a 79.4 save percentage while recording five shutouts and a 6-1-2 record. Gerardo Torres Fonte started the first two matches of the season and allowed one goal with two saves in 103 minutes.
The Vikings
Western Washington enters the week with a 6-3-1 overall record and a 1-1 record in GNAC play. The Vikings opened the year with four straight wins, including victories over No. 5 Stanislaus State and No. 4 Point Loma. WWU has gone 2-3-1 since the 4-0 start and opened GNAC play with a win before suffering its first conference loss.
The Vikings have scored 17 goals this season and are averaging 1.70 goals per game while giving up 13 goals for a 1.30 goals against average. Western Washington has taken 137 shots and averages 13.7 shots per game with 61 shots on goal for a 44.5 shots on goal percentage. Opponents have taken 174 shots against the Vikings and are averaging 17.4 shots per game with 68 attempts on frame.
Landon Schulze leads Western Washington with five goals, four assists, and 14 points while Lunden Fenster has three goals, three assists, and nine points. Edgar Serrano follows with four goals and eight points while Tommy Carroll has recorded three goals, one assist, and seven points. Rudy Silva has added one goal and two assists.
All-time vs WWU
NNU trails Western Washington 11-20-5 in the all-time series but has found success in recent years with a 5-3-2 record over the last 10 meetings. The Vikings took a 3-2 decision in Bellingham in the most recent matchup last season after the two teams played to a 2-2 draw in Nampa earlier in the year. NNU's last win over Western Washington came in Bellingham in 2024 when the Nighthawks took a 2-1 decision. The series dates back to Sept. 15, 2001.
The Red Leafs
Simon Fraser enters the week with a 2-2-4 overall record and a 1-0-1 mark in GNAC play. The Red Leafs have scored eight goals through eight matches while allowing 11. SFU is averaging 1.00 goal per game while allowing 1.38 goals per contest. Simon Fraser has taken 99 shots and averages 12.4 shots per game with 39 shots on goal for a 39.4 shots on goal percentage. Opponents have taken 105 shots with 43 attempts on frame.
Daniel James Jackson leads the Red Leafs with three goals, two assists, and eight points through eight matches. Simon Fraser has recorded seven assists as a team and has seen its eight goals spread throughout the lineup.
Simon Fraser sits near the top of the early GNAC standings with four points through its first two conference matches. The Red Leafs are 1-0-1 in GNAC play and enter the week unbeaten in conference action.
All-time vs SFU
NNU trails Simon Fraser 6-21-2 in the all-time series. The two teams split their meetings last season with the Nighthawks earning a 2-1 win in Nampa before Simon Fraser answered with a 2-1 victory in Burnaby. NNU has won four of the last 10 meetings between the two programs, including back-to-back home wins in 2024 and 2025. The series dates back to Sept. 25, 2010.
