• Boxscore & Play-by-Play
     • VIDEO:  Senior Day Ceremony   |   • VIDEO: Kelsey  Jenkins

  SEATTLE – With a conference championship and playoff berth already assured, the Seattle Pacific seniors were motivated by another goal. They were playing so that Saturday's women's soccer game would not be their last at Interbay Stadium.
 
Senior Kelsey Jenkins scored twice and assisted on a third goal as playoff-bound SPU won it's ninth straight game, ending the regular season with a 4-2 Great Northwest Athletic Conference victory over Central Washington.
 
The 12th-ranked Falcons (16-2) had clinched their third consecutive GNAC championship on Oct. 27, capturing an automatic playoff berth in the process. They finished with a 13-1 league record.
 
Five SPU seniors were honored in a pre-game ceremony. They may get another chance to play at their Interbay Stadium home if the Falcons are selected to host postseason games.
 


“It's always sentimental on Senior Day. But, we knew that if we took care of business today there was a good chance that we would be hosting and we could keep playing at Interbay,” Jenkins said. “So that was really our goal. We took care of business so hopefully we can show up here in the playoffs.”
 
The 48-team NCAA Division II championship field will be announced on Monday at 4 p.m. SPU hopes to receive one of the top-two seeds in the West Region and the accompanying home field advantage. The hosts get a first-round bye and the opportunity to play second-round games at home.
 
“It will be very nice if we can host. The fans here are great and we love playing on this field. It's a great atmosphere,” added Jenkins about Interbay, where SPU compiled a 56-3-4 record in its last 63 outings. “Obviously it would be great if we didn't have to travel down to California, but if we do then so be it.”
 
Jenkins (Kent, Wash./Kentwood HS) did her part to secure the high seed. She netted the game-winner at 71:25 on a 19-yard free kick from the center of the field. Jenkins directed the shot into the lower left corner.
 
The senior midfielder found the back of the net 10 minutes later with a 17-yard blast from the left side of the box that caromed off the right post on its way in at 81:08. That was her fourth goal of the season.
 
Junior forward Megan Lindsay (Spokane, Wash./Gonzaga Prep) assisted on the final goal. She played a part in back-to-back SPU goals that occurred 21 seconds apart.
 
Lindsay sent a pass to freshman Riley Dopps (Port Orchard, Wash./South Kitsap HS) who flipped the ball around the goalkeeper before finding the open net from 15 yards out at 36:24. Dopps is SPU's leading freshman scorer with five goals.
 
At 36:45, Lindsay sent a low drive that nicked off a CWU defender before traveling into the lower right of the goal. Lindsay's ninth goal of the season, which ties her for the team lead with Kellie Zakrzewski, was assisted by Jenkins.
 


The Wildcats (9-5-4) finished with an 8-4-2 GNAC record. They took the lead at 3:08 on a seven-yard header by Kelsy Villegas off a corner kick from Hadli Farrand.
 
“We started a little slow, obviously, giving up a goal in the first five minutes of the game. We had to battle back from being down 1-0,” Jenkins described. “It was an equal game at halftime and we had the opportunity to start fresh again in the second half.
 
“In the second half the teams really battled. We knew that they were going to be even more physical, they had nothing to lose in this game. We had to match that mentality and that effort. And we did, that's why we came out on top.”

The Wildcats were whistled for 24 fouls and four yellow cards. Two of those yellows went to Mirand Heslep, who was ejected in the 73rd minute. SPU had six fouls and no cautions.
 
After the two quick SPU strikes, Carson McKole equalized for Central at 40:19, making the score 2-2 at halftime. Amy Pate sent a low pass from the right side that McKole tapped in at the left post from six yards away.
 
Senior goalkeeper Brooke Yokers remained undefeated in seven straight starts in goal. She made two saves for SPU, which outshot the Wildcats 18-5.
 
CWU starter Kori Butterfield allowed two goals and stopped five shots before being replaced in the 61st minute in favor of Kayla Lipston. The backup keeper had two saves, but yielded the game-winning and insurance goals.

 
NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER
Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011
Interbay Stadium/Seattle, Wash.
 
at (#12) Seattle Pacific 4, Central Washington 2
 
Scoring – 1, CWU, Kelsy Villegas (Hadli Farrand), 3:08; 2, SPU, Riley Dopps (Megan Lindsay), 36:24; 3, SPU, Lindsay (Kelsey Jenkins), 36:45; 4, CWU, Carson McKole (Serena Tomaso, Amy Pate), 40:19; 5, SPU, Jenkins (free kick), 71:25; 6, SPU, Jenkins (Lindsay), 81:08.
 
Shots – CWU 5, SPU 18.
Saves – CWU 7 (Kori Butterfield 5, Kayla Lipston 2), SPU 2 (Brooke Yokers).
Corner kicks – CWU 2, SPU 8.
Fouls – CWU 24, SPU 6.
Offsides – CWU 2, SPU 0.
Ejections – CWU, Miranda Heslep, 72:02.
Attendance – 674.
 
Records
Seattle Pacific 16-2-0, 13-1-0 GNAC
Central Washington 9-5-4, 8-4-2 GNAC
 
Next game
Seattle Pacific at NCAA Tournament
Thursday, Nov. 10, site TBA