Home of Viking Hockey!
Welcome to the home of the Western Washington University Hockey Club. The Western Washington University Vikings compete in Division 2 of the American Collegiate Hockey Association in the Western Conference. If you are interested in playing the Vikings please contact Jeff Bulger at wwuicehockey@gmail.com.
Latest News
(03/02/09)
The University of Puget Sound will not be able to make the trip up to Bellingham this weekend, so we regret to inform you that the Vikings season is over. Western had a heck of a season though, posting a 15-6-2 record and finishing the season ranked 11th in the West. This was a huge turnaround for the team and will be looking to improve on this next season. Keep checking back regularly to stay up to date on Fundraisers and other activities your Vikings will be doing this off-season.
(02/24/09)
Your Vikings just wrapped up their last road trip of the season, and it was a weekend for the record books. Due to some last minute issues, Western had to make the trip down to Tri-Cities with only eight players and two goalies. The first game of the game series started off with a quick goal by Walla Walla, followed by a Matt Parsons Viking goal. The game was very back and forth, but Western could never manage to get the lead. Five minutes into the third period Western tied it up at five goals a piece. The rest of the third brought chances for both team, but neither team was able to capitalize sending this one into overtime. The five minute overtime period brought more chances, but again neither team could capitalize. This game would have to decided in a shootout. Walla Walla and Western each selected five shooters to start and the shootout was underway. When the dust settled after the first five shooters, it was once again all tied up. This game just did not want to end. Everyone in the crowd was on their feet screaming at the top of their lungs. Western would score, followed by Walla Walla. Western would miss, followed by a Walla Walla miss. As the game moved into the ninth round, Western had now gone through their entire game roster and were back at the beginning. The first shooter, who already had one shootout goal was up again. He added a second tally to scoresheet, putting the pressure on Walla Walla. As the WWC player headed down the ice with the puck, Western goalie met him at the top of the crease making a huge pad save to end the game in the ninth round of the shootout. All nine guys stormed the ice to celebrate and congratulate one another. The game ended with a handshake and it was back to the hotel for the small amount of rest they could get for their afternoon game the next day. After an unbelievable finish night before, the teams showed up for their second game of the series. Western came out shooting and it seemed to be working. Every pass seemed to be perfectly placed, and every shot seemed to be find the back of the net. Western recorded a remarkable nine goals in the first period to Walla Walla's two. With the lead well in hand, Western was able to sit back and play their game plan to perfection skating to a huge 12-7 win. It was an unbelievable accomplishment for the team to come away with two huge wins with only eight players, many of which played injured and sick. The team hit the road and was all smiles as the headed back home with two big wins under their belt.
(02/20/09)
ATTENTION ALL WESTERN HOCKEY FANS: Western has added another home game to the schedule. Mark your calendars for February 28th, as your Vikings take on Okanagan College at the Bellingham Sportsplex. Game time is 9:30pm. Hope to see you all out there.
(02/12/09)
ATTENTION ALL WESTERN HOCKEY FANS: We are currently in the process of trying to schedule a few makeup games for the cancellations that happened this second half of the season. Please check back regularly for an updated schedule or keep your eye open for our posters and flyers around campus. Keep your schedules open for February 27/28 and March 6/7 as we are hoping to bring you the good news of games being scheduled shortly. Thanks for all your patience and all your support this season.
(02/10/09)
After the second cancelled weekend of the season and a weekend off, the Vikings were back at home for what may have been the last home games of the season. This time it was the visiting WSU Cougars who stood in the Vikings path. Western came out flying for the first few minutes of the game. Matt Parsons started off the scoring with a goal four minutes into the game. WSU bounced back with a goal four minutes later to tie the game up at 1. WSU posted another goal five minutes into the 2nd period. Western didn't let it get to them and continued to play some great defense. With five minutes to go in the 2nd period, following a Matt Parsons pass Jeff Bulger ripped a shot beating the WSU goaltender glove side. On the same shift Bulger blocked a shot, and skated 150ft down and scored a breakaway goal to give WWU a 3-2 lead. Five minutes into the 3rd period Bulger got his third of the game giving him the natural hat trick and giving Western the 4-2 lead. There was no looking back, Western tallied another goal a few minutes later and skated to a 5-2 victory. Highlights from the game were 2 assists by James Walker. The next night was an action packed, hard-hitting, high scoring game. Western came out flying once again with Joey Patton getting a goal 22 seconds after the puck dropped. After plenty of opportunites, Western couldn't seem to find the back of the net again, while WSU was able to put two away. Western came out in the second and evened the with a wicked backhand goal by Jacob Mrozek. Each team got one more to end the 2nd period in a 3-3 tie. The third period was full of scoring, including two Western goals that were called back. After a very exciting third period, Western's 6 (counted) goals were not enough as they dropped the game 6-7 to WSU.
(01/23/09)
Bad news hockey fans. We once again regret to inform you that the games scheduled for January 23rd and 24th are cancelled. We are sorry for the incovenience, but we received a text message from Gonzaga University early Thursday morning letting us know they would not be making the trip up to Bellingham this weekend. We have contacted all the schools within 300 miles that have a hockey team trying to find a last minute fill in. Due to such short notice from Gonzaga all teams were booked for this weekend or were not able to get a team together in time. Thank you all very much for your continues support and please check back periodically as we are trying to find some more games to fill our schedule with. Thank you.
(01/19/09)
Your Vikings took the ice against the always tough UW Huskies this weekend in a home and home series. The Vikings were eager to finally take the ice and get the second half of the season going. It was a back and forth battle, with the Vikings only trailing once the entire game. Highlights from the game include two first period goals and an assist by Joey Patton, and a 1 goal, 2 assist night for Matt Parsons and Jeff Bugler. The Vikings ended up with a 6-5 victory, marking the first time they have beat UW in the past three seasons. The teams headed south for Saturday night's game at Olympic View. WWU had a real short bench, and struggled to get much offense going on the big ice surface. It was 5-0 going into the third period when Western put away a couple of quick goals. WWU had the momentum and was it seemed for a moment they could come back from behind, but that was short lived. Soon after the second WWU goal, one of the Western players was called for a major penalty. UW took advantage of the opportunity scoring 5 goals on the major penalty. Overall it was a great weekend. Come out and watch next weekend as your WWU Vikings take on the visiting Gonzaga Bulldogs.
(01/12/09)
Attention. A home and home series will take place against the University of Washington this Friday and Saturday evening (Jan. 16th and 17th). WWU will face off against UW at 10:15pm Friday night at the Bellingham Sportsplex. Saturday's game will take place in Mount Lake Terrace at Olympic View Ice Arena. Come out and support your Vikings as they kick off their second half of the season.
(01/07/09)
Attention all hockey fans. We regret to inform you that the games scheduled for January 9th and 10th are cancelled. We are sorry for the incovenience, but we received notice from Portland State late last night informing us that they would not be able to make the trip up to Bellingham this weekend. Thank you all and please check back periodically for the dates for the make up games. Thank you all and Happy New Years!
(12/01/08)
Your Vikings are off for Winter Break. Although the team is still practicing, there are no scheduled games until school starts back up for Winter Quarter. If you are interested in trying out for the team for the second half of the season please contact Jeff Bulger at wwuicehockey@gmail.com. Any other questions or comments can also be sent to wwuicehockey@gmail.com. Thanks for all your support throughout the first half of the season and we look forward to seeing you next quarter.
(11/23/08)
Western was missing quite a few of their players for this weekend due to injuries, illnesses, and other reasons. Still, they took the ice like they would any other game. Trinity Western, with a full bench came out firing and didn't let up the entire game. Down 2-0 with two minutes to go in the second period and on the power play Western was able to set up a very nice looking goal to cut Trinity's lead in half. This was the s[park that WWU needed to get the ball rolling; just over 40 seconds later, Matt Parsons was able to sneak one by the TWU goaltender to tie the game up at 2 and give Western what should have been a huge momentum boost heading into the third period. The momentum was short lived, as Trinity Western was able to capitalize on a faceoff in the offensive zone taking a 3-2 lead with six seconds left on the clock. Western was unable to come back from the huge blow, losing the game 2-6. Saturday night, WWU travelled up to Langley to play Trinity Western once again. Saturday's game was a game of back and forth. Trinity snuck one in early and WWU had to try and play catch up the rest of the night, never able to get over the hump. It was a hard fought battle that ended in a WWU loss of 3-5. Trinity is always an extremely tough competitor for Western and the Vikings have learned alot from these two games.
(11/16/08)
When it was finally time to drop the puck, the clock read 12:00am Midnight. Despite the late gametime, Western pounced on Portland State quickly with a goal 19 seconds into the game by Joey Patton. With the momentum on their side, Western had a couple more chances early in the game that they could not finish on and the road legs started to set in. Late in the first period, Portland State tied the game up. Joey Patton listed his second of the night on the first shift of the second period again. Once again, with PSU on its heels, Western could not put another one away. A few minutes later after a couple of borderline penalty calls Portland State tied the game up once again. Soon after the tying goal, Portland put in another power play goal to give them their first lead of the game. Taylor Birkeland tied the game up before the second period expired. The third period was a defensive battle with both teams getting their chances, but not being able to capitalize. Despite the extremely late start, the refs decided that the game would be decided in overtime. Halfway through the overtime period, PSU forward Hunter Leevengood was able to get free and sneak one by the WWU goaltender. It looked like a shooting gallery out there Friday night with Western goaltender John Healy facing 59 shots throughout the game. When all was said and done, the Vikings headed back to the hotel to try and get what little sleep they could before another tough game. Western showed up to the rink and found that they did not have a locker room to get dressed in causing a 45 minute delay to start the game. When WWU finally took the ice for warmups, the ref informed them they had 2 minutes instead of the required minimum of 8 minutes. Saturday's was a physical with penalty after penalty. Playing most of the game shorthanded, Western couldn't really get their offense together. Jeff Bulger had the lone goal of the game. Western wraps up their first half with a home and home series versus the Trinity Western Titans from over the border.
(11/10/08)
The Vikings suffered a heartbreaker of a loss Friday night at home against the Puget Sound Loggers registering their first loss of the season. Both teams played a strong game, but penalties ended up killing Western in the end with all but one of the Loggers' goals coming on the Power Play. With all the penalties WWU just couldn't get much offense going. UPS had a 5 on 3 power play for the last two minutes of the game where they were able to score the final goal to lift them to a 6-5 victory. The following night the Vikings came out with a vengeance and with something to prove. The Vikings steamrolled the Loggers in a 14-1 victory. Highlights from the game were a two goal performance by rookie Nate Havko and from junior forward Taylor Birkeland. Greg "The Future" Parsons netted himself a natural hat-trick scoring the last three goals of the game. Jeff Bulger also had a hat-trick along with two assists. Your Vikings head down to Portland for a couple of tough games on the road against the Portland State University Vikings. Any friends and family in the area are encouraged to come out and support your Western Vikings. Mark your calanders for the Vikings last home game of the first half as the Vikings take on Trinity Western Friday November 21st, 10:15pm at the Sportsplex.
(10/28/08)
Friday night, your undefeated Vikings were put to the test early in Spokane against the Bulldogs of Gonzaga. Entering the third period, trailing two goals, WWU was down but not out. Seconds before the 10 minute mark of the third, Greg Parsons riffled a shot past the Gonzaga netminder to bring the Vikings within one. Two minutes later, Parsons made a tape to tape pass to Taylor Birkeland who snuck one just inside the post to tie the game up at 3-3. There was no stopping the Vikings at this point. Minutes later, the Vikings popped in another to give them their first lead of the game. Thanks to four unanswered goals, strong defense, and a huge third period from goaltender John Healy the Vikings skated to a 5-3 victory Friday night. Saturday night was quite a show, brought to you by the one and only Parson Bro’s. The brother duo accounted for 5 of the 7 Vikings goals with the other two coming from fellow linemate Jeff Bulger. The Vikings came out ready to play, setting the tone early with a quick goal two minutes into the game. The Bulldogs put up a good fight, but it wasn’t enough for the stingy Viking defense. Western never trailed leaving them still undefeated. Our boys will take this Halloween weekend off and will be back with a set of home games against the visiting Puget Sound Loggers. Tickets can be purchased game day at the door and remember to support your Western Vikings hockey club by purchasing your T-Shirts and Sweatshirts exclusively under the merchandise link. Go Vikings.
By: Josh O’Reily
(10/20/08)
The Vikings are off to a 4-0-1 start. It is the first time in a long while that the Vikings have started off undefeated in their first five games. Western just finished up their first set of home games of the 2008-2009 season. Walla Walla College was in town for a couple of games. Due to timing issues, Western had to play at 3:30 in the afternoon. Short a couple of key players, Western just couldn't seem to put the puck in the net and trailed for most of the game. With about two minutes left in the game Matt Parsons made a pinpoint pass from behind the net to Jeff Bulger in front. Bulger quickly fired a one-timer which found its way into the back of the net. The game ended in a 2-2 tie. Taylor Birkeland had the other goal, sneaking a shot in short-side on the Walla Walla goaltender. The following night Western hosted its first night game of the year. Once again Western struggled to put the puck in the net. It didn't seem to matter though, getting a stellar performance in the defensive end. Western's defense, backed by goaltender John Healy allowed only 1 goal the entire game. Your Western Vikings head off to Spokane for a couple games next weekend.
(10/13/08)
The Vikings started off their season with a bang this last weekend with a couple of road games down in Tacoma against the University of Puget Sound Loggers. The Vikings came out firing and never seemed to let up. When all was said and done Friday night, Western skated away with a 9-2 victory. The following night Western came out a little flat and UPS put in a couple of quick goals to give them a 2-0 lead. Western fought back and was able to finish the 1st period tied up a 3-3. Something seemed to click for the next two periods as Western went on a 9-1 goal run. The loggers snuck in a late 3rd period goal, but it was too little too late. The game ended with a score of 12-5 in favor of the Western Vikings. Highlights from this weekend include five-goal games from Sophomore forward Matt Parsons and Senior forward Jeff Bulger and a ten point weekend from Junior forward Joey Patton. Freshman defenseman Greg Parsons also scored his first career goal as Viking with a slapshot from the point.
(10/02/08)
Western Hockey is currently looking for Sponsors for the 2008-2009 Hockey Season. Please contact Jeff Bulger at wwuicehockey@gmail.com if you are interested in sponsoring the team. Many different sponsorship tiers are available. This is a great way to get the name of your company out into not only the hockey community, but the Bellingham community as a whole. Also remember all your donations are tax-deductible. Time is running out, so don't wait, email us today to start advertising and getting your name out in the community.
(9/25/08)
Final game schedule has been posted. Set these dates aside in your planners now!
(9/11/08)
Turnouts for the upcoming season will begin on the 23rd of this month. There will be an informational meeting at 3:30 P.M. on September 23rd at the Sportsplex, with ice to follow. Please bring $10 cash for the tryout fee. See you on the 23rd!
(9/02/08)
ATTENTION ALL RETURNING AND PROSPECTIVE WWU ICE HOCKEY PLAYERS: The WWU Ice Hockey club is having an open ice session September 16th at 5:00 P.M. at the Bellingham Sportsplex. All returning players and anyone interested in turning out this season are invited to come. This is a great chance to dust the gear off, shake the cobwebs out, and meet and chat with new and returning players alike. Let's get ready for a great season!
(8/11/08)
The tentative game schedule for the 2008-2009 season has been posted.
(6/18/08)
Are you interested in turning out for the Western Hockey team next year? Please take a couple of minutes to download and fill out one of our new recruit forms. We are still ironing out the dates for turnouts come Fall quarter. It will be one or two ice slots either Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday during the first week of school. We are also looking into scheduling a couple of ice slots during the few weeks leading up to the start of school to get everyone back on the ice before the season officially starts up. Check back shortly for exact dates and times for Turnouts. If you are a new player please take a few minutes to fill out the Recruit Form and send the document to Jeff at wwuicehockey@gmail.com.
(5/30/08)
Western Hockey's email address has changed! The new address is wwuicehockey@gmail.com. Please make this change in your address books.
(4/16/08)
Attention all artists: The Western Washington University Ice Hockey Team is looking for your help in designing a new logo. If you have any ideas for a logo, please send them to Jeff Bulger at wwuicehockey@gmail.com. The chosen logo will be used on our new jerseys and merchandise. Please keep designs to two colors or less. Also, we have a new shipment of merchandise in, including sweatshirts and t-shirts in two different colors. We have sweatshirts and t-shirts in white on blue and now we also have t-shirts in blue on white as well. T-shirts are $12 and sweatshirts are $30. Please contact Jeff Bulger at wwuicehockey@gmail.com with any orders.
(4/14/08)
New photos have been added to the media page!
(4/1/08)
The Vikings have finished a tough 2007-2008 season. Injuries and frustration troubled the Vikings all season long, but much has been learned and the Vikings are already looking forward to next season.
The awards for the 2007-2008 season are as follows. Despite being out for the entire second half of the season with a knee injury, Jeff Bulger was named Most Valuable Player for the third season in a row. James Bradford Walker was named Defensive Player of the Year for his superb work on the blue line. Forward Jacob Mrozek was the Viking's Rookie of the Year. Ben Hillman earned himself Unsung Hero honors for his hard work all season long, and Rob Reed was the obvious choice for Most Improved.
The Vikings would like to thank all the wonderful fans and volunteers who helped make this season happen, especially Brittany Sadro, Rainee Rohrbacher, and Renee Reynolds for their work taking money at the door, working the penalty box, keeping time and keeping score. This program would not survive without volunteers like the three of them and the generous support of our amazing fan base.
Viking hockey merchandise is always on sale. We have t-shirts and sweatshirts on sale. The t-shirts are available in both white with blue lettering and blue with white lettering. Cost is $12.00 (plus shipping). Sweatshirts are available only in blue with white lettering, and the cost is $30.00 (plus shipping). The design of the t-shirts and sweatshirts can be seen on the merchandise page. We also have bumper stickers for sale. The design can also be found on the merchandise page. If you would like to purchase merchandise, send an email to wwuicehockey@gmail.com.
If you are interested in playing the Vikings next season, please contact James Walker at wwuicehockey@gmail.com, and please do so as soon as possible.
Thanks again to all who made the 2007-2008 season possible. See you next year!
(1/29/08)
It has been another tough couple of weekends for the Vikings. Two weekends ago, the Vikings travelled to Tacoma to take on the University of Puget Sound. Western came out completely flat and lost the first game by a score of 1-10. Defenseman Patrick Maclauchlan had the Vikings only goal, scored unassisted on a shot taken from the point.
Western had a much better game the next day. The game was pretty even through three periods, but the Vikings would eventually lose in overtime by a score of 3-4. Goals for the Vikings were scored by Jensen, Hillman, and Moser, with assists by Decaro, Machlauchlan, and Walker.
This past weekend the Vikings took on Walla Walla University at home. Western came out strong on Friday night, dominating most of the game and winning by a score of 6-4. James Decaro scored his first goals of the season, scoring two in Friday's matchup. Jensen and Walker each had goals as well. Ketchum, Lavigne, Walker, and Jensen each had assists.
Saturday did not go quite as well for the Vikings. Depsite making some good opportunities the Vikings struggled to find the net, only scoring one goal in the 1-8 loss.
The Vikings look to finish out the season strong with two games at home against the University of Puget Sound in two weeks. The games are scheduled for Friday, February 8th at 10:15 P.M. and Saturday, February 9 at 7:30 P.M. Both games will be played at the Bellingham Sportsplex.
(1/17/08)
The Vikings continue to struggle, dropping three games in a row this weekend; one to University of Texas and two more to Portland State. The Vikings have been short on bodies since the tail end of the fall quarter. Forward Christer Leusner suffered a knee injury in the first game against the University of Washington last quarter and has been out ever since. We are hopefull that he may return by the end of the season to finish out his senior year with the Vikings. Leading scorer Jeff Bulger has also been out since the break. Though his play on the ice have not shown it at all in the past few seasons, the two-time MVP has been playing through knee problems throughout most of his hockey career here at Western. Unfortunately for Bulger and all of the Vikings, further injuries caused Bulger to require surgury over the break, and he will be out for the remainder of the season. His presence on the ice has been missed greatly. Hopefully everyone else can step it up to help fill the void left by these two talented players. We all wish both Leusner and Bulger a good, speedy recovery. The Vikings travel to Tacoma this weekend to take on the University of Puget Sound. Friday's game is scheduled for 10:00 P.M. and Saturday's for 5:00 P.M. Both games will be held at Sprinker Ice Arena in Tacoma.
(1/10/08)
The Vikings took a hard loss to a solid University of Texas team tonight. It was a close game through a period and a half, but the short-benched Vikings started to run out of steam part-way through the second, and the Longhorns carried the momentum through the rest of game, defeating the Vikings 7-1. The Vikings only goal came from center Taylor Birkland, assisted by defensemen James Walker and Patrick Maclauchlan. The Vikings will have to bounce back and regain their focus as they take on Portland State tomorrow and Saturday at the Bellingham Sportsplex. The games will be broadcast online here.
(1/09/08)
Yesterday's game against Texas A&M was unexpectedly cancelled. We apologize for any inconveniences this may have caused. Thursday's game against University of Texas is still on as scheduled. Game time is 6:15 P.M. at the Bellingham Sportsplex.
(1/07/08)
The Vikings are looking to come out strong this quarter with a fresh attitude and a schedule that includes a lot of home games. The Vikings start off the second half of the season against Texas A&M on Tuesday, January 8 at 5:00 P.M. at the Sportsplex, then take on Texas Thursday at 6:15 P.M. at the Sportsplex. Portland State then travels here to take on the Vikings Friday and Saturday in the second series against the Vikings this season. Portland State took both games from a short-benched Western earlier in the season, including a win in the final four seconds of the second game. The Vikings are looking forward to the rematch on home ice. Fridays game is at 10:15 P.M., and Saturdays game has been changed to 4:15 P.M. Please note the change in game time from the earlier schedule. We apologize for the inconvience, but this was a late rescheduling done by the Sportsplex. We look forward to seeing everyone out there supporting your hockey team this quarter!
(12/03/07)
The Vikings had quite the road trip this weekend. The Vikings travelled to Spokane to play Gonzaga University in a game Friday night and a game Saturday night. However, bad weather, icy roads, and car troubles left the Vikings with only five skaters and no goalie for Friday's game. Thus, Friday's contest had to be forfeited. However, the Vikings came back strong Saturday night, overcoming all of the unfortunate circumstances and leaving with the win. The Vikings started the game with only eight skaters and a goalie, and after Willy Truetner left early in the first period with a broken ulna, the Vikings were left with only seven skaters. But they fought incredibly hard and showed a tremendous amount of heart and conditioning and overcame the one goal deficit after the first period to win the game 2-1, ending the eight game losing streak (which includes Friday's forfeit), and making all the grief that the weekend brought worthwhile. This was a great end to the first half of the season, and the Vikings look forward to carrying this momentum into the second half after winter break.
(11/26/07)
The Vikings have had a couple of rough weekends; losing two games to rival University of Washington two weeks ago and losing two tough games in Vancouver, Washington against Portland State University, the second game of which the Vikings played with only eight skaters. After having Thanksgiving weekend off, the Vikings look to bounce back strong this week with a road trip to Spokane, Washington to take on Gonzaga University.
(11/08/07)
We apologize for the miscommunication, but the November 10th game against University of Washington is at 7:45 P.M., not 10:00 P.M. as was previous listed. Please take note of this change, and sorry for any inconveniences this miscommunication may have caused.
(11/02/07)
The Vikings took on a very talented Trinity Western University tonight. The Vikings fought hard for three periods, but in the end Trinity came out on top. The score went back and forth for the entire game, but Trinity put in a few late in the third, including an empty netter in the end, to make the final 6-9 in favor of Trinity.
(10/31/07)
We regret to announce that former WWU Ice Hockey player Chris Eves passed away suddenly on October 26, 2007. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time. More information can be found at the link below.Chris Eves
(10/21/07)
The Vikings travelled to the Tri Cities this weekend for a three game road trip. The Vikings defeated Columbia Basin College on Friday night, but lost to Walla Walla University both Saturday night and Sunday morning. Highlights from the weekend include a hat trick by Travis Moser on Friday night against Columbia Basin and three and four goal games by Jeff Bulger on Saturday and Sunday against Walla Walla.© 2008 Benjamin R. Hillman | Based on a design by Andreas Viklund | xNavigation