September 5, 2009
SEATTLE – Sophomore
Brandi Hamre scored on a short header in the 57th minute Saturday afternoon, helping the top-ranked Seattle Pacific women complete a perfect soccer homestand with a 1-0 non-conference victory over Cal State East Bay at Interbay Stadium.
The defending NCAA Division II champion Falcons (4-0) did not allow a goal during their four season-opening home games.
Coach Chuck Sekrya was pleased with the early results that saw his SPU team outscore opponents 6-0 during the homestand.
“I was just really proud of our team. Our defense was amazing and our goalkeeping was fantastic,” he said. “For a young team to start off like this is great and I just think that our best soccer is still ahead of us. We keep getting better and I'm just really excited about what this season could possibly bring to us.”
Senior goalkeeper
Jesslyn Rahm Kellerman (Eugene, Ore.) stopped two shots en route to her second shutout of the season and the 19th for her career. Kellerman ranks second among all-time SPU goalkeepers, just six shy of the school record of 25 established by Jennifer Hull from 2001-04.
The Falcons had a 4-0 shot advantage in the first half. They were unable to generate any dangerous chances against East Bay, which was sitting back with all 11 players in its own defensive half of the field for most of the opening period.
“I definitely asked them to try to open the game a little more. I also talked about the fact that we needed to be way better, as soon as they lost the ball, to get it back in their end,” Sekyra said of his halftime instructions to the Falcons. “I wanted us to move the ball with a purpose, not just because we could. I was proud of the team in the second half.”
Sekyra's adjusments paid dividends as SPU finally broke through 11 minutes into the second half with some nice teamwork. Junior
Amanda Johnson (Duvall, Wash./Cedarcest HS) controlled the ball and fed a pass to senior
Janae Godoy (Yakima, Wash./West Valley HS) on the left flank. Godoy served a cross to the near post where Hamre (Bremerton, Wash./Central Kitsap HS) headed it in from five-yards out at 56:22.
“It was a nice build up. We were very aware that we needed to keep the ball moving until we got numbers in the box. Once we did, I though Janae hit a great ball and Brandi made a great finish,” said Sekyra.
“It was a great sense of timing on our team. They could have crossed the ball before that, but I think they saw that there weren't numbers in there so they made one more pass and allowed the numbers to get in there.”
Hamre nearly netted another goal two minutes later, but her low 18-yard shot from the right side carried across the goalmouth and just outside the left post.
Nina Cefalo was credited with three saves for East Bay (1-2), which was outshot by a 10-3 margin. The Pioneers did not attempt a corner kick while yielding three to SPU.
The Pioneers didn't attempt a shot until 10 minutes into the second half when Carly Genzioli ran on to a loose ball in the left side of the box. Kellerman raced out to deflect Genzioli's 20-yard shot and SPU freshman defender
Taylor Sawyer cleared the ball out from in front of the goal.
The Falcons have not allowed a goal since the 55th minute of their Dec. 4, 2008 NCAA semfinal game, a 3-1 win over Metro State. Including nearly 108 scoreless minutes in the 1-0 double-overtime championship victory over West Florida on Dec. 6, SPU has not surrendered an opposing score during the last 503-minutes, 7-seconds.
The Seattle Pacific women play their first road game on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at Chico State before returning home to host Grand Canyon on Friday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m.
Sekyra is anxious to see how his Falcons play away from home.
“I'm excited for a road game. I hope our team is a little tired of playing in the same place and hope they are excited about taking their abilities on the road.”
NCAA Women's Soccer
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Interbay Stadium/Seattle, Wash.
(#1) Seattle Pacific 1, Cal State East Bay 0
Scoring -- 1, SPU,
Brandi Hamre (
Janae Godoy,
Amanda Johnson), 56:22.
Shots – CSEB 3, SPU 10.
Saves – CSEB 3 (Nina Cefalo), SPU 2 (
Jesslyn Rahm Kellerman).
Corner kicks – CSEB 0, SPU 3.
Fouls – CSEB 7, SPU 8.
Offsides – CSEB 0, SPU 0.
Attendance -- 263.
Records
Seattle Pacific 4-0-0
Cal State East Bay 1-2-0
Next game
Seattle Pacific at Chico State, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 7:00 p.m.
