Falcon women hit the road for playoffs

SEATTLE – Janie Wurth had no intention of playing soccer for Seattle Pacific. She didn't want to leave California.
 
Brandi Hamre had no intention of playing for the Falcons, either. She didn't want to stay in Washington.
 
Wurth left. Hamre stayed. Both landed at SPU.
 
Now, both are primed to help guide Seattle Pacific on what they hope will be another deep run into the NCAA Division II women's tournament.
 
“This is the most exciting time of season – you only get one game (guaranteed), said Wurth (La Mirada, Calif.), part of a back line that has produced 10 shutouts this season, including one stretch of five straight and another of four straight.
 
Added Hamre (Bremerton, Wash./Central Kitsap HS), who has contributed five goals and three assists from her forward slot, “There's no looking past anyone. We still want to improve, even going into the tournament.
 
“I think we're ready. We have to be at this point.”
 
First up for the 12^th-ranked and third-seeded Falcons (16-2-0) is Grand Canyon (9-5-3). That opening-round West Region game is at 7 p.m. Thursday at Cal State Los Angeles. A victory in that one leads to a 1 p.m. regional semifinal contest on Saturday against host Cal State L.A.
 
“It's always fun playing someone new,” Wurth said. “At this point, all the teams are good. We can't go into it with any preconceptions.”
 
BACK HOME FOR WURTH
When Wurth steps onto the field at Jesse Owens Stadium, she'll be just half an hour or so away from her alma mater of Troy High School. The temperature is expected to be in the low 70s – about 20 degrees warmer than the low 50s forecast for Seattle that day.
 
Which is a big reason why she initially had no desire to leave usually sunny California for often-soggy Seattle.
 
“I had sworn I'd never go to school in Washington and not having sun,” Wurth said. “But Chuck (Sekyra, SPU's head coach) e-mailed me and I was like, 'Why not just visit?' I honestly didn't think I'd end up here, but visiting would be nice.”
 
Typical of so many other who come here just to visit, Wurth fell in love with the city – and with the Falcons' program.
 
“I just had this feeling in my heart,” she said. “It was a really easy decision for me.
 
“I didn't think about the weather after that.”
 
Ironically, Sekyra almost passed on the chance to see Wurth play. He had been scouting at a tournament in California and literally was putting the key into his car door to head back to his hotel. That's when a coaching friend came up to him.
 
“He said, 'You gotta go watch this kid play, she's a great match for your school,” Sekyra recalled. “I go, 'No – I've been out here since 8 in the morning.' He said, 'Do me one favor,' so I said OK.
 
“I went over there, and there was something about her that I just liked. I liked her energy, and she can hit the heck out of the ball.”
 
Wurth has been a steady presence on the Seattle Pacific back line, playing 77 games in four years – more than anyone on the team except for Hamre (77) and fellow senior Kelsey Jenkins (79). Wurth has started 49 games, including 13 this year, with nine career assists even while focusing primarily on defense.
 
To this day, Sekyra is glad he allowed himself to be talked into making that extra trip.
 
“She's somebody who is constantly engaging her teammates – leading, cheering, supporting, organizing – she's just a great communicator and a great leader,” Sekyra said. “The kids respond to her, and they love it when she talks. When Janie Wurth is talking, things are going well.”
 
Added Wurth with a grin, “I'm really a loud player – that helps just organizing and being a presence. We have a really good defense, and we've started to work well together.”
 
JUST A FERRY RIDE AWAY FOR HAMRE
As she approached the end of four years at Central Kitsap High School near her home in Bremerton – about a 55-minute ferry trip across Puget Sound from Seattle – Hamre had no doubt she'd be playing college soccer.
 
She also had no doubt she'd be playing it out of state.
 
“I swore I'd get out of here. I swore I'd leave,” Hamre said. “The funny thing is, I had a bunch of visits (to other schools) set up.”
 
Then came an e-mail from Sekyra.
 
“I had never heard of SPU,” Hamre said. “My mom said, 'Let's go visit.' I said, 'OK, fine, whatever.'”
 
“That was my first visit – and I didn't go on my other visits,” she said. “I said, 'Mom, this is where I'm going.'”
 
Naturally, that was pleasing news to Sekyra.
 
“We had always had these quick forwards, and we needed somebody to come in and hold the ball. One of the things I liked about Brandi was she's great about holding the ball, and she can crush the soccer ball,” Sekyra said. “I still think Brandi hits the ball harder than anyone we've had in our program. And she has matured into such a leader.”
 
During her four years in maroon, Hamre has been effective at scoring and passing. Heading to Los Angeles this week, she has 21 career goals (five this season) and 20 career assists (three this season).
 
“I like to create things,” she said. “As much as I love scoring, I like setting someone up for something, just for the team. Whether I'm giving (goals) or getting them, it doesn't really matter.”
 
Doesn't really matter whether she starts or comes off the bench, either.
 
“She has started a lot of games (53 of her 77), and she's good enough to start easily,” Sekyra said. “But right now, she's in that rhythm where if she comes off the bench, she gets it going against a back line that's a little tired, and she's taking advantage of that.