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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 --
Seattle Pacific at Western Oregon
3:30 p.m. PDT, WOU Soccer Field, Monmouth, Ore.
LiveStats:  http://athletics.wou.edu/live/xlive.htm
 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 --
Saint Martin's at Seattle Pacific
7:00 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium (900), Seattle, Wash.
LiveStats:  www.sidearmstats.com/spu/wsoc
 

*** TRAFFIC & PARKING ADVISORY ***
Fans are encouraged to arrive early for games at Interbay Stadium due to nearby construction that could congest traffic and has greatly reduced the number of available parking spaces. Currently there is no parking on 17th Avenue West and West Barrett Street is closed.


The Seattle Pacific women's soccer team continues to battle its way through the Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule both on the road and at home this week. The third-place Falcons (5-2-1, 2-1-1 GNAC) travel to Monmouth, Ore. on Thursday, Sept. 27 for a 3:30 p.m. clash against Western Oregon (3-5-0, 1-3-0). SPU was victorious in the last 18 meetings against the Wolves. On Saturday, Sept. 29, Saint Martin's (4-4-0, 2-2-0) makes its annual pilgrimage to Seattle. The Falcons won all 10 previous encounters versus SMU. Saturday's kick-off is 7 p.m. at Interbay Stadium.
 
Magnificent Megan
Senior forward Megan Lindsay netted her third goal of the season on Saturday. That was the 32nd goal of her career, giving Lindsay sole possession of third place among all-time SPU scorers. She moved ahead of Jocelyn Charette, who amassed 31 goals from 2007-09. Sarah Martinez (2004-07) is the Falcons' career leader with 49 goals and Shannon Lovejoy (2002-05) is second with 42. An honorable mention All-American, Lindsay led all GNAC players with 12 goals in 2011.
 
Ticket Talk
Tickets for SPU soccer games can be purchased on game day at Interbay Stadium (3027 17th Ave. W., Seattle 98119). Ticket windows open one hour prior to kickoff. All seats are general admission and priced at $6 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens. SPU students and staff are admitted free. Groups or teams of 10 or more may qualify for reduced ticket rates by calling (206) 281-2085 in advance.
 


Home Sweet Home
The SPU women lost just three times in their last 66 homes games with a 56-3-5 mark since Sept. 30, 2006. They had a 45-game home unbeaten streak snapped on Sept. 30, 2010 with a 1-0 loss to Western Washington. The Falcons posted a 9-2-0 home record last season and were 7-1-1 in 2010, 11-0-1 in 2009, 11-0-2 in 2008 and 15-0 in 2007.
 
Last Week
The Falcons rallied for a 2-1 home victory over Western Washington (Sept. 19), capped by Kaylie Winston's header with 15 seconds left on the clock. Shayla Page scored the first goal for SPU, which had trailed 1-0. The Falcons tied Central Washington (Sept. 22) 1-1 behind a 31st-minute goal by Megan Lindsay.
 
Playoff Pursuit
The SPU women seek to return to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the 10th straight year. The Falcons won the 2008 national championship. Last season they advanced to the West Region semifinal before losing 2-1 at Cal State L.A. on an 80th-minute goal. SPU advanced to the Final Four on three occasions (2005, 2007, 2008).
 
2012 Preview
Six starters return from the GNAC championship SPU squad that reached the West Regional semifinals of the 2011 NCAA Division II Tournament. Topping the list of returnees is leading scorer Megan Lindsay, a senior who netted 12 goals last year. She had four game-winning strikes and helped SPU outscore opponents 56-13. Lindsay is joined on the forward line by sophomores Ali Martin and Heather Young, who both started strong last year before being sidelined with mid-season injuries. A pair of award-winning midfielders are back in second-team all-conference senior Brittany Langdon and sophomore Riley Dopps, the 2011 GNAC Freshman of the Year. The backline features first-team all-region defender Josie Graybeal. Junior goalkeeper Natalie Harold compiled a 0.62 goals against average in 11 starts last season.
 
2011 Review
The SPU women registered a 17-3-0 overall record in 2011, won their eighth GNAC title and participated in the postseason for the ninth straight season. They routed Grand Canyon 4-0 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament before falling 2-1 at Cal State L.A. Departed midfielder Kelsey Jenkins was the 2011 GNAC Player of the Year after leading the team with 11 assists. SPU lost its No. 2 scorer in Kellie Zakrzewski who netted 10 goals. The back line took the biggest blow with the departures of starting defenders Taylor Sawyer, Andrea Chan and Janie Wurth.
 
This Week's Opponents
Western Oregon (3-5-0, 1-3-0 GNAC) -- The Wolves have outscored opponents 14-13 led by five players with two goals apiece. Lindsay Bauman and Makana Pundyke each have five points to tie for team-high honors. Goalkeepers Hilary Lutz and Kelsey Lindsey combined for two shutouts and a 1.60 goals against average.  SPU won the last 18 encounters to take a 19-2 series lead. The Falcons swept the season series last year, winning by the same 3-0 score in both encounters.
 
Saint Martin's (4-4-0, 2-2-0 GNAC) -- The Saints defeated Western Oregon 2-1 at home in the last outing to even their overall and conference records. Abby McFaul's four goals account for half of her team's eight-goal output. Ashley Engel and Gina Cardenas share the workload in goal, combining for two shutouts and a 1.62 goals against average. SPU won all 10 previous meetings with the Saints, including a 3-0 decision last season in Seattle and 2-0 win in Lacey.
 
Coach Chuck  Sekyra
In his 10th season, Chuck Sekyra has guided Seattle Pacific to a remarkable 172-21-15 record, three Final Four appearances and the 2008 national championship. He directed seven of those teams to GNAC championships, and all nine of his squads participated in the NCAA tournament. His Falcons advanced to the 2005 championship game. Sekyra was a defender on the SPU men's soccer teams that won back-to-back NCAA titles in 1985 and 1986. He served as an assistant men's coach at SPU in 1998 and 1999 under Cliff McCrath, then was an assistant women's coach at Washington for three years before being named head coach of the SPU women in 2003. Sekyra was named GNAC Coach of the Year six times (2003-05, 2007, 2009, 2011) and the Regional Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2007. He received the NSCAA National Coach of the Year award in 2007.
 
GNAC Title Chase
With eight championships in the 11-year history of the program, it's no surprise that Seattle Pacific is the favorite once again to win the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title. This time, it's unanimous. The Falcons received all eight first-place votes in the conference preseason coaches poll. The three-time defending champion Falcons seek to match the record of the SPU squads from 2002-2005 that collected four straight GNAC crowns. They return six starters from last season's team that captured the GNAC championship with a 13-1 record. SPU won eight of the 11 titles since the GNAC began sponsoring women's soccer in 2001.
 
Next Week
The SPU women visit Ellensburg on Oct. 4 for a 4 p.m. clash with Central Washington. They return home to host Simon Fraser on Oct. 6 in a 1 p.m. contest at Interbay Stadium.