The Western Washington University women's soccer team meets UC San Diego in the West Regional championship game of the NCAA Division II National Tournament on Friday, Nov. 16, in Denver.

Metro State and Colorado Mines play at 11 a.m. for the South Central regional title.

The regional winners meet Sunday, Nov. 18, in a national quarterfinal for a berth in the final four at Evans, Ga., on Nov. 29 and Dec. 1.

The West Regional title contest matches WWU's best postseason run since becoming a full NCAA member in 1998. The Vikings also reached the regional final in 2008, losing 1-0 in overtime to Seattle Pacific at Kirksville, Mo.

WWU, ranked No. 23 in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America/NCAA II Top 25, are 19-3, the win total a school record.

The Vikings advanced to Friday's title game with a pair of 2-1 overtime wins in first- and second-round games at Rohnert Park, Calif. They defeated Cal Poly Pomona and host Sonoma State, the region's No. 1 seed and 10th ranked nationally.

Junior forward Kristin Maris scored the game winner, her team-leading ninth goal, in the 103rd minute against Sonoma State on Sunday, and freshman forward Stephanie Hamilton ended the Cal Poly Pomona contest last Friday in the 109th minute with her third goal of the campaign.

The extra-minute contests were the first this season for WWU.

WWU, the No. 5 seed, earned an automatic berth at regionals by winning the championship at the first Great Northwest Athletic Conference Tournament. The Vikings defeated Montana State Billings 2-0 in the title game following a 2-0 semifinal victory over Western Oregon.

WWU was the No. 1 seed at the GNAC tourney after winning the league's regular-season championship with a 12-2-0 record.

Sixteen of the Vikings' 19 wins have been shutouts as they have outscored the opposition 46-7. During one stretch they had a school and GNAC-record scoreless string of 919 minutes and 29 seconds, ninth longest in NCAA II history.

WWU senior goalkeeper Jamie Arthurs, the GNAC Player of the Year, has set school and GNAC records for shutouts in a season (16) and career (39). She ranks second nationally in goals against average at 0.31.

With just seven goals allowed and 63 saves in 2,010 minutes and 59 seconds, her save percentage of .900 is fourth nationally. Her GAA, save percentage and shutout total all led the GNAC.

Arthurs 16 shutouts this season are one short of the NCAA II record held by three players, her solo shutout percentage of 72.7 is near national record pace and her 39 career shutouts are tied for sixth nationally with the record being 46.

WWU, coached by Travis Connell (10th year, 121-58-19), is led offensively by Maris, freshman forward Catherine Miles, senior midfielder Joana Houplin and junior defender Brina Sych. Maris has nine goals, which include a team-high five game winners, and five assists; Miles eight goals and seven assists, Houplin six goals and two assists, and Sych five goals and five assists.

Maris was named MVP of the GNAC Tournament. Sych is the GNAC's Defensive Player of the Year and Miles the league's Freshman of the Year.

WWU leads the nation in save percentage (.900), and is second in both shutout percentage (.727) and GAA (0.31).