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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 --
(#1) SPU vs. Central Washington
7:30 p.m., Interbay Stadium (900), Seattle, Wash.

The top-ranked, undefeated and un-scored upon Seattle Pacific women's soccer team (8-0, 2-0 GNAC) continues Great Northwest Athletic Conference play this week with a single home game. The Falcons host Central Washington (3-5-1, 0-1-1) at Interbay Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 7:30 p.m. SPU won the last seven meetings against the Wildcats. Next week, the Falcons host Western Oregon on Sept. 30 before visiting defending GNAC champion Western Washington on Oct. 3.

Ticket Talk
Tickets for SPU soccer games can be purchased in advance or at Interbay Stadium (3027 17th Ave. W., Seattle 98119) on game day. Ticket windows open one hour prior to the listed start time. All seats are general admission and priced at $6 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens. SPU students are admitted free. Groups or teams of 10 or more may qualify for special general admission rates by calling (206) 281-2085 in advance.

Streaking
The Falcons are in the midst of a 19-game winning streak. They have gone an entire calendar year without a loss, putting together an undefeated stretch of 25 games that includes one tie. SPU's last setback was a 1-0 decision at Western Washington on Sept. 20, 2008.

Blank Slate
The Falcons have not surrendered an opposing goal during their last 863-minutes, 7-seconds, including all 720 minutes this season. They eclipsed the school's previous scoreless standard of 610:13 compiled during the 2004 season. SPU has not allowed a goal since the 55th minute of its Dec. 4, 2008 NCAA semifinal game, a 3-1 win over Metro State. The Falcons blanked West Florida for nearly 108 scoreless minutes in the 1-0 double-overtime championship victory on Dec. 6. When the streak started at the end of last season, the Falcons featured a veteran corps of defenders. The quartet, including three seniors, boasted a combined 221 career starts on the SPU back line. The current group, including freshmen Andrea Chan, Taylor Lundquist and Taylor Sawyer, had no collegiate starting experience before this season. “The back line is playing like a bunch of seniors,” Coach Chuck Sekyra said. No opponent has scored against the SPU women in eight games this year, surpassing the school's previous single-season record of six straight scoreless games set in 2003 and 2004.

Shutout Standard
The SPU women have shut out their last nine opponents, including West Florida in the 2008 championship game. That nine-game streak ties for sixth in the NCAA Division II women's soccer record book. The record of 15 consecutive shutouts was established by Franklin Pierce from Sept. 12-Nov. 5, 1995.

Dynamic Duo
A primary reason for the shutout streak is the play of senior Jesslyn Rahm Kellerman (Eugene, Ore.) and junior Maddie Dickinson (Vancouver, Wash.), who split time in goal for SPU. Dickinson is the national leader in both goals against average (0.00) and save percentage (100%). SPU has not yielded a goal in 720 minutes this year with four shutouts for Dickinson, three by Kellerman and one shared. Last season they combined for 17 shutouts. Dickinson allowed five goals in 1,332 minutes (0.34 GAA) and Rahm five in 1009 minutes (0.45 GAA).

Player of the Week
Freshman defender Taylor Sawyer, who helped Seattle Pacific shut out two league opponents last week, received the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week award on Sept. 21. A product of North Mason High School in Belfair, Wash., Sawyer started all eight games as a central defender for the defending NCAA Division II Falcons (8-0), who have not surrendered a goal this season. SPU opened conference play last week with matching 3-0 wins, at Western Oregon on Thursday and at home against Saint Martin's on Saturday. SPU has outscored opponents by a 16-0 count. Sawyer scored one of those goals, and it was a big one. She netted a 79th-minute penalty kick for the lone goal in a 1-0 win at Chico State on Sept. 8.

Home Sweet Home
Seattle Pacific has not lost at Interbay Stadium since a 1-0 setback against Seattle University on Sept. 30, 2006. The Falcons compiled a 34-0-2 home record since then, including a perfect 15-0 mark in 2007, 11-0-2 in 2008 and 6-0 this season.

Poll Patter
Seattle Pacific remains atop the rankings after opening the season listed No. 1 in the NSCAA/adidas coaches preseason poll. The Falcons finished 2008 ranked No. 1 after beating previously top-ranked and undefeated West Florida in the championship game. West Florida is currently ranked No. 2. SPU is the only GNAC team listed in the national poll.

This Week's Opponent
Central Washington (3-5-1, 0-1-1 GNAC) -- The Wildcats are led by the three goals apiece of Monique Cornier and Serena Tomaso. Playmaker Kaycie Hutchins assisted on six of CWU's 15 goals. Goalkeeper Amber Easterbrook has two shutouts and a 1.46 goals against average. SPU leads the all-time series 14-1-1 and won the last seven meetings, including a 2-0 win last year in Ellensburg (Oct. 25) and 3-0 decision in Seattle (Oct. 1). The lone Wildcat win was a 1-0 decision on Oct. 15, 2001 in Ellensburg during the second meeting in the series.

Terrific Transfer
Senior Jocelyn Charette (Tacoma, Wash./Curtis) leads the team with four goals. She netted her second career hat trick, and the 12th by an SPU player, in a 3-0 win over Grand Canyon (Sept. 11). Charette scored 20 career goals since her transfer from Tampa, where she played as a freshman in 2006. She was the Sunshine State Conference freshman of the year with 21 goals and nine assists for the Spartans. Charette scored six goals in five postseason games, helping Tampa reach the 2006 NCAA semifinals. She returned to Tampa's Pepin Stadium with SPU for the 2008 Final Four and assisted on both game-winning goals while scoring a semifinal goal of her own. Charette led the Falcons with 15 assists last fall, including an assist in each of the final six outings. Her nine goals ranked third on the team in 2008. Charette was a first-team All-GNAC and All-West Region selection last season.

Golden Girl
Senior midfielder Janae Godoy (Yakima, Wash./West Valley) finished the 2008 season in phenomenal fashion. She netted a golden goal in the 108th minute to lift SPU to its first national championship with a 1-0 win over West Florida. That was Godoy's fifth game-winning goal during the season's final seven outings, including three deciding tallies in playoff contests. She scored the lone goal in a Nov. 22 quarterfinal victory at Truman State to propel SPU into the Final Four. She also had the decisive goal in the Falcons' first tournament victory, a 3-1 decision against UC San Diego on Nov. 15 in Seattle. Godoy has proven to be a clutch performer as 11 of her 20 career goals were game winners.

Soccer School
The Falcons captured the NCAA Division II championship on Dec. 6, 2008 in Tampa, Fla. While it was the school's first women's soccer title, it is not the only championship trophy on display at Seattle Pacific. SPU won five NCAA Division II men's soccer titles, in 1978, 1983, 1985, 1986 and 1993. Falcons teams have won nine national championships overall, including three women's gymnastics crowns (1986, 1992, 1997).

Season Preview
Six starters return from last year's 22-1-2 SPU squad that won the school's first women's soccer national championship. Headlining the list of returnees is a trio of All-West Region honorees. Junior Amanda Johnson is the top returning scorer with 11 goals, two of them coming in the NCAA semifinal win. Senior Jocelyn Charette topped the team with 15 assists in 2008 and also netted nine goals. Junior goalkeeper Maddie Dickinson had a 0.34 goals against average and was credited with 10 of the team's 17 shutouts. To that returning corps, SPU added seven signees in one of the finest recruiting classes in school history. The Falcons need to replace five departed starters, including three defenders and midfielder Meredith Teague, the 2008 National Player of the Year. SPU was an overwhelming choice by GNAC coaches to win the 2009 conference title, receiving six of seven first-place votes.

2008 Review
Janae Godoy's 108th-minute golden goal on Dec. 6 against West Florida capped a remarkable championship season for Seattle Pacific. The Falcons won their last 11 games, and were undefeated in the final 17 outings, en route to a 22-1-2 record. They were dominant, outscoring opponents 67-10 on the strength of a 492-169 shot advantage. The Falcons shut out 17 foes. Senior Meredith Teague, the 2008 National Player of the Year, amassed 14 goals and 10 assists. SPU qualified for the Final Four in three of the last four seasons. 

Coach Chuck Sekyra
Since taking over in 2003, just the third year of the program, Chuck Sekyra has guided Seattle Pacific teams to a remarkable 126-11-10 record, three Final Four appearances and the 2008 national championship.  He directed four of those teams to GNAC championships, and all six of his squads participated in the NCAA tournament. His Falcons advanced to the 2005 championship game. Sekyra was a steady defender on the Falcons men's soccer teams that won back-to-back NCAA titles in 1985 and 1986. Sekyra served as an assistant men's coach at Seattle Pacific in 1998 and 1999 under Cliff McCrath, then was an assistant women's coach at Washington for three years before being named head coach of the SPU women in 2003. While Sekyra's players have garnered numerous conference, regional and national honors, he has collected several as well. Sekyra was named GNAC Coach of the Year in 2003, '04, '05 and '07 and earned Regional Coach of the Year honors in both 2005 and 2007. He received the NSCAA National Coach of the Year award in 2007.