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     • VIDEO: Mandy  Verdoia

SEATTLE – The author of bookend goals didn't claim the credit Thursday.

Senior Mandy Verdoia netted the lone first-half tally and then capped a five-goal outburst after halftime of Seattle Pacific's 6-1 women's soccer rout of Notre Dame de Namur on Thursday.

Verdoia (Salt Lake City, Utah) put the Falcons on the board at the 31:27 mark, just 51 seconds after subbing into the game. Senior midfielder Kelsey Jenkins (Kent, Wash./Kentwood HS) started the play with a floated cross into the box from deep in the right corner. The ball dropped at Verdoia's feet just four yards in front of the left post, and she redirected it onto the back left corner.

"Right when I got in we got a loose ball on the right side and Kelsey Jenkins crossed it in," described Verdoia. "She put it right on the back post so I just had to act as a backboard for her and I tapped it in."

Her second goal, a 14-yard shot from the right side into the lower left of the Argonauts net off another precise pass from a teammate, wrapped up the scoring in the 85th minute.

"Kellie Zakrzewski just played an amazing ball right into the six. I didn't have to do anything, just took a touch and hit it far post," said Verdoia.

"Both my teammates just really set me up. They made it easy, made me look good."

In between Verdoia tallies, the Falcons got goals from senior Brandi Hamre (Bremerton, Wash./Central Kitsap HS) and freshman Demi Waitley (Coronado, Calif) followed by a pair of strikes from freshman forward Ali Martin (Beaverton, Ore.).



Hamre launched a shot from the top of the penalty area to the right of the restraining arc into the upper left corner at 50:17, then just nine minutes later sent a corner kick from the left side into the box that Waitley ran onto and drilled into the back left corner at 59:54.

Massiel Castellanos spoiled the shutout when she scored a 64:06 for the Argonauts (1-3) of Belmont, Calif.

Castellano's goal cut the Seattle Pacific lead to 3-1. But Martin responded by scoring twice just 90 seconds apart – deking cleanly around goalkeeper Kelsey Baxter for a wide-open 10-yarder into the back left corner at 73:08, then knocking in a loose ball at the left post at 74:38.

The last time Seattle Pacific scored six goals was last Sept. 25, 2010 in a 6-0 victory at Western Oregon.

SPU has won its last five meetings against Notre Dame by a combined score of 16-1 after losing the inaugural meeting, 1-0 in overtime in 2001 – the first year of the Falcons' program.

Baxter stopped nine shots for NDNU, which was outshot by a 25-5 margin. SPU netminder Natalie Harold (Vancouver, Wash./Heritage HS) did not record a save.

The victory helped the Falcons (2-1) shake off last Saturday's 2-0 loss to nationally second-ranked UC San Diego. They are now 49-2-4 on their Interbay Stadium turf since September of 2006.

"It felt good to get a rhythm today and really just let go of some of those goals that we came so close to against UCSD," Verdoia said.

Seattle Pacific plays host to Nebraska Omaha on Saturday at 7 p.m. Although the rosters are now entirely different, the Falcons and Mavericks played for the 2005 NCAA Division II title, with Omaha winning 2-1 in overtime. The Mavericks are in their first year of reclassifying up to Division I.


NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Interbay Stadium/Seattle, Wash.

Seattle Pacific 6, Notre Dame de Namur 1

Scoring – 1, SPU: Mandy Verdoia (Kelsey Jenkins), 31:27; 2, SPU: Brandi Hamre (unassisted), 50:17; 3, SPU: Demi Waitley (Hamre), 59:54; 4, NDNU: Massiel Castellanos (Samantha Paetz), 64:06; 5, SPU: Ali Martin (Mackenzie Laird), 73:08; 5, Martin (unassisted); 74:38; 6, SPU: Verdoia (Kellie Zakrzewski), 84:47.

Shots – NDNU 5, SPU 26.
Saves – NDNU 9 (Kelsey Baxter), SPU 0 (Natalie Harold).
Corner kicks – NDNU 2, SPU 2.
Fouls – NDNU 13, SPU 4.
Offsides – NDNU 0, SPU 2.
Cautions – NDNU: Hannah Verschelden.
Ejections – None.
Attendance – 206.

Records --
Seattle Pacific 2-1-0.
Notre Dame de Namur 1-3-0.

Next game --
Nebraska Omaha at Seattle Pacific
Saturday, Interbay Stadium, 7:00 p.m.