• GNAC Coaches Poll & Preview


SPOKANE, Wash. -- The Seattle Pacific women's soccer team was projected by the league's coaches to repeat as Great Northwest Athletic Conference champion in the preseason poll that was released Thursday.

SPU collected six of eight first-place votes en route to a 62-point total. The Falcons return eight starters from last season's team that captured the GNAC crown with a 9-2-1 record.

Western Washington, the 2008 league champion and last year's runner-up, received one first-place vote. The Vikings were projected second by the league's coaches with 56 points and Saint Martin's was third with 43.

Central Washington, which garnered one first-place vote, tied for fourth in the preseason projections with 34 points. That is the same point total compiled by Simon Fraser, which begins its first season as an NCAA Division II competitor and member of the GNAC.

Montana State Billings was selected sixth (30), followed by Western Oregon (20) and Northwest Nazarene (10).

SPU has won six of the nine titles since the GNAC began sponsoring women's soccer in 2001.

The Falcons forged a 16-3-2 overall record in 2009 and earned their seventh straight postseason invitation. They advanced to the Final Four in three of the last five years, winning the national championship in 2008.

One of the three starters SPU needs to replace is forward Jocelyn Charette who completed her collegiate career last fall with 15 goals and the GNAC Player of the Year award.

Heading the list of returning standouts is senior goalkeeper Maddie Dickinson (Vancouver, Wash./Skyview). She was honored as an all-region selection after recording nine shutouts and a 0.57 goals against average in 2009.

The defense is anchored by sophomore defender Taylor Sawyer (Gig Harbor, Wash./North Mason) who reaped All-America accolades after her rookie season.

The offense features junior midfielder Kelsey Jenkins (Kent, Wash./Kentwood) who netted five goals and a distributed a team-high eight assists. Jenkins was joined on the first-team All-GNAC squad by senior forward Amanda Johnson (Duvall, Wash./Cedarcrest).

Sophomore forward Megan Lindsay was SPU's second-leading scorer with six goals in 2009.

The Falcons open the season at home, hosting Humboldt State on Friday, Sept. 3. Kick-off is 4:30 p.m. at Interbay Stadium as the opener of a doubleheader with the men's team.

SPU is also at home to begin conference play, hosting Montana State Billings on Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. With the addition of Simon Fraser to the GNAC, teams will play a 14-game league schedule.


Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Preseason Poll
(Aug. 26, 2010)

Team (first-place votes), Total points
1, Seattle Pacific (6), 62
2, Western Washington (1), 56
3, Saint Martin's, 43
4, Central Washington (1), 34
4, Simon Fraser, 34
6, Montana State Billings, 30
7, Western Oregon, 20
8, Northwest Nazarene, 10