September 6, 2008
SEATTLE – Reserve forward
Kayla Stiegemeier scored a goal in each half Saturday, leading the eighth-ranked Seattle Pacific women to a 3-0 triumph over No. 16 Chico State in a non-conference soccer game at Interbay Stadium.
SPU improved to 3-0-1 with its second straight win over a ranked opponent. The Falcons beat No. 24 Cal State Dominguez Hills 3-2 on Wednesday. Chico State's record dropped to 3-2.
Sophomore forward
Amanda Johnson (Duvall, Wash./Cedarcrest) netted her team-leading third goal of the season just 1:26 into the game. She delivered a 17-yard blast into the left side of the net.
Meredith Teague (Redmond, Wash./Bellevue Christian) and
Jocelyn Charette (Lakewood, Wash./Curtis) were credited with assists on the play.
“I think we had a goal before they touched the ball and that's always a nice way to start a game,” said SPU's
Chuck Sekyra, the 2007 national coach of the year. “We came out and really dominated them. We moved the ball well, we defended well and our defensive shape was as good as it's been all year. They didn't really have a lot of chances and that was just our shape, effort and communication in the back.”
Stiegemeier's first goal gave the Falcons a 2-0 lead going into halftime. The score was initiated by a corner kick from Johnson.
Claire Grubbs headed the kick toward the left post where Stiegemeier was positioned to push it in at 37:44.
SPU out shot the Wildcats 11-1 in the first half. It was a narrower 6-2 shot advantage after halftime.
Stiegemeier, a junior from Rathdrum, Idaho, converted one of those second-half shots at 70:14. She slipped an 18-yard shot under the charging goalkeeper after passes from Teague and
Janae Godoy (Yakima, Wash./West Valley).
“She can do that. She's so athletic and she's good at finding the ball,” Sekyra said of Stiegemeier's goal-scoring prowess. “It was fun to see today. That's what we asked her to do before the game and that's what she did. She was a difference maker today.”
Sophomore goalkeeper
Maddie Dickinson was not required to make a save en route to her second shutout of the young season. Lauren Vance stopped two shots for the Wildcats, who were out shot by a 17-3 margin.
The Falcons capped a four-game homestand with three consecutive wins after a season-opening tie against Cal State San Bernardino.
“I'm really, really proud of these guys right now. From game one to game four, we really got better each game,” said Sekyra.
“It's huge. It just takes a lot of pressure off the upcoming road trip to take care of one of the better teams in the CCAA. I have a lot of respect for Chico; I think they are a great team. This gives our team a lot of confidence going down there.”
The Falcons travel to California for a pair of road games, beginning Sept. 9 at Cal State Monterey Bay.
The SPU women's next home game is Sept. 15 against Dixie State. Kick-off is 3 p.m. at Interbay Stadium.
NCAA Women's Soccer
Interbay Stadium; Seattle, Wash.
Saturday, Sept. 6, 2008
(#8) Seattle Pacific 3, (#16) Chico State 0
Scoring – 1, SPU,
Amanda Johnson (
Jocelyn Charette,
Meredith Teague), 1:26. 2, SPU,
Kayla Stiegemeier (
Claire Grubbs,
Amanda Johnson), 37:44. 3, SPU,
Kayla Stiegemeier (
Meredith Teague,
Janae Godoy), 70:14.
Shots – CSU 3, SPU 17.
Saves – CSU 2 (Lauren Vance), SPU 0 (
Maddie Dickinson).
Corner Kicks – CSU 1, SPU 5.
Fouls – CSU 7, SPU 12.
Offsides – CSU 1, SPU 1.
Attendance – 312.
Records – Seattle Pacific 3-0-1, Chico State 3-2-0.
