• Boxscore & Play-by-Play

LACEY, Wash. – Sophomore transfer Kendall Thoreson scored the first goal and assisted on the game-winner Thursday, leading eighth-ranked Seattle Pacific to a 3-1 victory over Saint Martin's in a women's Great Northwest Athletic Conference game at SMU Soccer Field.

The defending GNAC champion Falcons (6-0-1) improved to 3-0 in league play. SMU (1-6-0) dropped to 0-3 in conference action.

A product of King's High School in Seattle, Thoreson joined the Falcons this year after playing one season at Northwestern. She scored her inaugural SPU goal just over two minutes into Thursday's game.

Thoreson was five yards from the goal when she headed in a far-post cross from Janie Wurth (LaMirada, Calif.) at 2:05 on the first shot of the contest.

“Kendall just played a marvelous game. Her energy and her will to put some things on her back and go out there and make a difference were huge for us,” said SPU coach Chuck Sekyra. “Kendall was so hungry to score and she just played a great all-around game. She was fantastic today.”

SPU struck again at 14:33 when freshman Kellie Zakrzewski found the goal for the third consecutive game. The graduate of Cheney (Wash.) High School race to a deflected ball and smashed it into the back netting to tie for the team scoring lead with her third goal of the season.

Thoreson and junior Brandi Hamre (Bremerton, Wash./Central Kitsap) were credited with assists on the goal.

“The first 20 minutes were the best 20 minutes we have played all year,” exclaimed Sekyra. “We came out and played so great and then we just kind of put it in neutral and coasted a little bit before we put the game away at the end. I'd like us to keep up that intensity and level of play that we showed that first 20 minutes because it was wonderful.”

SPU outshot the Saints 10-0 during the opening 20 minutes. The deficit could have been larger for SMU, but goalkeeper Gina Cardenas stopped two shots during that span and a defender cleared one attempt off the goal line.

The Saints drew within 2-1 at 34:33 on a looping 30-yard shot from the left flank by Jenny Baker that carried over SPU goalkeeper Maddie Dickinson, who had charged off her line.

Dickinson (Vancouver, Wash./Skyview HS) saved eight shots and surrendered just her second goal of the season. That score prevented the senior shot-stopper from tying SPU's career shutout record of 25 set by Jennifer Hull from 2001-04.

Sophomore Megan Lindsay (Spokane, Wash./Gonzaga Prep) secured the victory with the Falcons third goal, her first of the season. Lindsay beat Cardenas to a ball in the box and slipped a 12-yard shot into the goal at 79:32.

Cardenas made six saves for the Saints, who were outshot 17-13.

The Falcons finish their three-game road trip on Saturday (Sept. 25) with an 11 a.m. conference game at Western Oregon.


NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER
Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010
SMU Soccer Field/Lacey, Wash.

(#8) Seattle Pacific 3, Saint Martin's 1

Scoring – 1, SPU, Kendall Thoreson (Janie Wurth), 2:05. 2, SPU, Kellie Zakrzewski (Thoreson, Brandi Hamre) 14:33. 3, SMU, Jenny Baker (Sammi Thompson), 34:33. 4, SPU, Megan Lindsay, 79:32.

Shots – SPU 17, SMU 13.
Saves – SPU 8 (Maddie Dickinson), SMU 8 (Gina Cardenas 6, team 2).
Corner Kicks – SPU 2, SMU 3.
Fouls – SPU 9, SMU 9.
Offsides – SPU 2, SMU 0.
Yellow Cards – SPU 2 (Savanna Hanson, Thoreson), SMU 1 (Cayla Dixon).
Ejections – None.
Attendance – 62.

Records -
Seattle Pacific 6-0-1, 3-0-0 GNAC
Saint Martin's 1-6-0, 0-3-0 GNAC

Next game -
(#8) Seattle Pacific at Western Oregon
Saturday, Sept. 25; Monmouth, Ore, 11:00 a.m. PDT