November 20, 2008
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Senior midfielder
Meredith Teague netted a golden goal with 4:27 remaining in the final overtime Thursday, propelling fourth-ranked Seattle Pacific into the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II women's soccer tournament with a 1-0 victory over No. 12 Western Washington at Truman Soccer Park.
The Falcons (19-1-2), who claimed the West Region title, are one win away from their third Final Four trip in the last four years. They remain in Missouri to play on Saturday at 11 a.m. Pacific Time against host Truman State (17-3-2). The 23rd-ranked Bulldogs beat Texas A&M-Commerce 2-1 on Thursday in the South Central Region championship game.
“I felt good about how we played and the number of chances we created. Today's result was deserving,” said sixth-year SPU coach
Chuck Sekyra. “The way the game was going I didn't want it to go into penalty kicks. I wanted to take our chances in the run of play.”
Teague's tally immediately ended the game after the Northwest rivals had played more than 105 scoreless minutes in windy, 32-degree conditions. She dribbled across the top of the box before launching a 20-yard, left-footed strike that curved inside the right post.
“It was unreal, a great hit,” exclaimed Sekyra. “Meredith is just big time. She has a way of coming up with special goals at the right time for us. She is as clutch a performer as I've ever coached.”
Senior
Shannon Oakes (Boise, Idaho/Boise) initiated the scoring situation with a wide pass to sophomore
Jocelyn Charette (Lakewood, Wash./Curtis), who then served a cross to Teague just outside the penalty area. Charette was credited with an assist.
It was the team-leading 14th goal of the season for Teague (Redmond, Wash./Bellevue Christian) and her seventh game-winning score.
“Both teams had quality chances and the league MVP scored a great goal to beat us,” said WWU coach Travis Connell, a four-year men's soccer letterman at Seattle Pacific from 1991-95.
Teague was recently honored as the Player of the Year for both the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and the West Region.
SPU had a 7-1 shot advantage during the overtime sessions, capped by Teague's final attempt that halted the game at 105:33. The Falcons nearly ended the contest six minutes into the first 10-minute overtime period. Teague sent a shot toward the goal that was deflected, forcing Vikings goalkeeper Kylie Broadbent to stretch high for a stellar save.
Sekyra had high praise for Broadbent. She made seven saves for WWU, which was outshot 24-10.
“That goalkeeper was great today. We created a lot of chances and she made some great saves and took some goals away.”
Sophomore
Maddie Dickinson (Vancouver, Wash./Skyview) stopped five shots en route to her eighth shutout and the 15th for the Falcons.
Dickinson was especially good in the second half, when WWU compiled a 7-4 shooting edge. She tipped an eight-yard attempt by Bryn Gibson over the crossbar and denied two shots on corner kicks.
“
Maddie Dickinson was great today,” said Sekyra. “When they did have a chance, she took it away. She took one goal away with a brilliant save.”
The Vikings had an opportunity to win the game on their only shot of the overtime, but Emily Frankland's 98th-minute attempt carried over the crossbar.
WWU had its 16-game unbeaten streak halted and completed the season with a 17-3-2 record.
Thursday marked the third meeting this year between SPU and Bellingham-based Western Washington, which are located 78 miles apart. The GNAC rivals traveled over 1,500 miles, to Kirkwood, Mo., to play the West Region championship game.
The Vikings dealt SPU its only loss, a 1-0 setback on Sept. 20 in Bellingham. This season's second meeting, on Oct. 16 in Seattle, resulted in a 1-1 tie.
Since that lone loss to WWU, the Falcons put together the current 14-game undefeated streak. They blanked 10 opponents during that span, outscoring them by a combined 47-5 margin.
Thursday's third matchup with the Vikings, with the highest stakes, went in favor of the Falcons.
“We never got away from playing our game,” Sekyra explained. “We possessed the ball pretty well, ran at them and defended well. We stayed true to who we are and in the end that's usually going to prevail.”
That system has earned the Falcons six straight NCAA tournament appearances. SPU advanced to the 2005 NCAA championship game and lost last season in the national semifinals.
“We've come this far and we've got to get it done on Saturday,” Sekyra concluded. “We want to get on that plane home knowing that we are going to the Final Four.”
Saturday's winning team earns a berth to the Final Four at Pepin Stadium in Tampa, Fla. The semifinals are set for Dec. 5 and the championship game is Dec. 7.
NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Tournament
West Region Championship Game (Sweet 16)
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Truman Soccer Park; Kirksville, Mo.
No. 4 Seattle Pacific 1, No. 12 Western Washington 0 (2ot)
Scoring -- 1, SPU,
Meredith Teague (
Jocelyn Charette), 105:33.
Shots – SPU 24, WWU 10.
Saves – SPU 5 (
Maddie Dickinson), WWU 7 (Kylie Broadbent).
Corner kicks – SPU 3, WWU 4.
Fouls – SPU 8, WWU 13.
Records --
Seattle Pacific 19-1-2
Western Washington 17-3-2
