SEATTLE -- The Seattle Pacific Falcons are heading to the NCAA Division II women's soccer tournament on a 12-game unbeaten streak and another solid defensive performance.
Janae Godoy, who scored both goals in Thursday's 2-0 victory against Western Oregon, tallied the first one on Saturday night, and junior Kayla Stiegemeier scored the final two as Seattle Pacific finished its Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule with a 3-0 victory against Montana State Billings at Interbay Stadium.
The Falcons wound up at 10-1-1 in GNAC play, finishing second behind Western Washington. The Vikings (10-0-2) clinched the conference crown earlier on Saturday with a 4-1 victory at home against Western Oregon.
Seattle Pacific (17-1-2 overall) will open NCAA play next week and is in the running to host first- and second-round games. The tournament field and game sites will be announced on Monday.
“I think we've peaked at the right time,” Falcons coach Chuck Sekyra said. “We're playing well defensively, playing well as a team, and a lot of different player are scoring goals. It's hard just to lock down one person.”
Godoy, a junior (Yakima, Wash., West Valley HS) put the Falcons on the board at the 6:01 mark. Sophomore Becca Woods (Beaverton, Ore.) took a free kick just beyond the midfield line and sent a long target ball deep into the box. Jocelyn Charette (Lakewood, Wash., Curtis HS) bumped the ball to Godoy, who was stationed right at the left post to knock it in for her fifth goal of the season. Charette earned her team-leading 10th assist on the play.
Seattle Pacific doubled its lead to 2-0 at 30:37 on Steigemeier's fifth goal of the year. Senior Katie Taylor (Vancouver, Wash., Columbia River HS), playing at the top of the box to the left of the arc, sent a through ball across to Steigemeier (Rathburn, Idaho), who unleashed a shot from 16 yards away and planted it into the back left corner.
Stiegemeier put the game out of reach with a 10-yard shot to the right side at 71:04.
SPU outshot Montana State Billings, 22-3.
Sophomore Maddie Dickinson (Vancouver, Wash., Skyview HS) picked up the shutout, her seventh of the season and the team's 14th. The Falcons did not allow a goal in their last five conference games, and kept GNAC opponents off the board for the final 487 minutes of the season.
“This was a nice win. It was a great defensive effort, and we scored some nice goals,” Sekyra said. “We're just taking care of business.”
The Yellowjackets finished the season at 10-10-0, 5-7-0 in the GNAC.
NCAA Women's Soccer
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
(No. 4) Seattle Pacific 3, Montana State Billings 0
Scoring -- 1, SPU: Janae Godoy (Becca Woods, Jocelyn Charette), 6:01; 2, SPU: Kayla Steigemeier (Katie Taylor), 30:37; 3, SPU: Stiegemeier (Woods, Kelsey Jenkins) 71:04.
Shots -- MSB 3, SPU 22.
Saves -- MSB (Jordan Fenwick) 5, SPU (Maddie Dickinson) 0.
Corner kicks --SB 2, SPU 3.
Fouls -- MSB 12, SPU 9.
Offsides -- MSB 0, SPU 1.
Attendance -- 319.
Records --
Seattle Pacific 17-1-2, 10-1-1 GNAC.
Montana State Billings 10-10-0, 5-7-0 GNAC.
