The Westminster men's soccer team picked up a signature win Wednesday afternoon, knocking off No. 14 Western Washington 3-1 in a neutral-site matchup at Regis. The Griffins dominated the run of play from start to finish, out-shooting the Vikings 26-8 and holding a commanding 16-4 edge in shots on goal.
Match Breakdown
First Half
Westminster set the tone early, firing 11 shots to Western Washington's two in the opening 45 minutes. Owen Gallo tested Vikings goalkeeper Quinn Sappington twice in the first 12 minutes, while George Acurero and Cole Williams also had looks on frame before halftime. The Griffins' pressure finally paid off in first-half stoppage time, as Ethan Ross buried his first goal of the season in the 45th minute off an assist from Max Edwards, sending Westminster into the break with a 1-0 lead.
Second Half
The Griffins kept the pressure on after the restart. Owen Gallo doubled the lead in the 61st minute, finishing off a Gage Wood assist to make it 2-0. Western Washington answered quickly, as Landon Schulze converted a penalty kick in the 63rd minute to cut the deficit to 2-1. But Westminster responded again, as Parker Stebbing restored the two-goal cushion in the 75th minute with a goal assisted by Ross. The Griffins continued to create chances down the stretch — Nefthaly Loya, Gage Wood, and Spencer Lords all had shots saved by Sappington in the final 15 minutes — but the score held at 3-1. Westminster out-shot the Vikings 15-6 in the second half.
Griffin Performances
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Owen Gallo led the Griffins with a goal and seven shots, four on target
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Ethan Ross recorded a goal and an assist, adding two shots
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Parker Stebbing scored the eventual game-winner, his second goal of the season
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Max Edwards contributed an assist and fired four shots, three on target
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Gage Wood added an assist and three shots on goal
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Oliver Olsen earned the win in goal, making three saves across the full 90 minutes
Final Stats
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Shots: Westminster 26, Western Washington 8
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Shots on Goal: Westminster 16, Western Washington 4
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Corner Kicks: Westminster 5, Western Washington 4
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Fouls: Westminster 2, Western Washington 8
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Saves: Westminster 3 (Olsen), Western Washington 13 (Sappington)
With the win, Westminster improves to 3-0-3 on the season, while Western Washington falls to 4-2-0.
Up Next
Westminster continues its Denver trip Saturday against No. 2 Seattle Pacific.
