Coming up on the 84th minute of Saturday night’s game, the Redhawks remained tied 0-0, despite maintaining possession of the ball for a majority of the game and outshooting their opponents, Tarleton State University 25-3. This was until Sophomore forward Kailee Wilson received the ball from Freshman forward Zoe Hopkins. 

“I was in the right place at the right time,” Wilson said. 

Wilson proceeded to follow through, putting the ball into the back of the net, scoring the Redhawks’ first and only goal of the game. This 1-0 win over Tarleton State puts the Redhawks at 8-2-4 on the season, but what most do not know is that the Seattle University women’s soccer team has not lost a single in-conference home game since 2021. This win keeps their streak alive.   

Under the leadership of head coach Julie Woodward, the Seattle U women’s soccer team has cemented themselves as a dominant program in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Woodward has been the head coach of the program for nearly three decades, having only two losing seasons in those 27 years. On Sept. 1, Woodward accomplished a feat that only a handful of coaches can say that they have achieved. With a 1-0 win over Fresno State, Woodward surpassed former men’s and women’s basketball coach Dave Cox, becoming the winningest coach in Seattle U athletics history.  

“I never thought that I would get this far,” Woodward said.  

Woodward displayed immense selflessness when asked what led to her success, immediately crediting the athletes on the team and her coaching staff.  

“It’s the young women that I’ve had the privilege of coaching over the years. At the end of the day, my current team, former student-athletes and alumni are the ones winning the games out here,” Woodward said. “I’ve had an incredible staff… they’re a big part of the reason as well.”  

With the win over Tarleton State this past weekend, Woodward’s current record now sits at 354-152-63.   

The team’s success is not only credited to just a single individual.  

“It’s our coaches for giving us the tactics we need to win the game, and our team for sticking to the tactics and giving it our all,” Wilson said.  

The senior leadership on the team has created a strong culture in the program. After a not-so-successful season in 2021 for this year’s senior class, they made a pledge to not repeat what happened in their freshman season. Because of this, the team instilled values among the underclassmen of having a strong work ethic and a commitment to improving.  

 “They made a vow their freshman year… their commitment to ensuring that we followed through day after day is a big part of the reason [for the team’s success],” Woodward said.  

The Redhawks currently sit third in the conference behind Utah Valley University and conference rivals Grand Canyon University. The team is heading into the final stretch of the regular season, with only three games left before the WAC tournament. These last three games will be a challenge for the Redhawks as they take on some of the top competition in the conference, Grand Canyon (Oct. 17), California Baptist (Oct. 20), and Utah Valley (Oct. 26). But despite the strength of the schedule coming up, the team does not seem to have any concerns and is ready for the challenge.  

 “We’re really excited about our last three games… there’s no better way to prepare than seeing the best,” Woodward said.

 Although the team has some tough competition on the horizon, they have proven that no opponent is too much of a challenge. There is a lot of hope for this team as they finish up the rest of the regular season and make their way into the postseason.