Box Score • Final Stats
• VIDEO: Kaylie Winston | • VIDEO: Senior Ceremony
SEATTLE – The Falcons won't have to wait long to seek revenge – just five days.
Danielle Brandli scored in the seventh minute Saturday for Central Washington, which secured second place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with a 1-0 women's soccer win over Seattle Pacific at Interbay Stadium in the final regular season game.
The Wildcats (11-5-1) finished with a 10-3-1 league record to vault into the second-place position. Western Washington clinched its second straight GNAC title on Thursday.
SPU (13-5-0) dropped to third place in the standings with a 10-4 GNAC record. The Falcons had a five-game winning streak halted.
A rematch will occur on Thursday as these same teams clash in the semifinals of the GNAC Tournament. Kick-off is 4 p.m. at Starfire Stadium in Tukwila, Wash.
The tournament champion receives the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Division II Tournament. That is perhaps the only way the Falcons can extend their 10-year streak of playoff appearances with an at-large berth seemingly a long shot.
"It's everything," Coach
Chuck Sekyra said of the tournament's significance for his Falcons. "I'm excited about the tournament.
"Why not us? I really believe that it can be us this weekend winning the tournament. We're playing great soccer at the right time of the year and are peaking at the right time."
The Wildcats got on the board just 6:04 into Saturday's game on their first attempt of the contest. Brandli gathered a loose ball outside the top of the box. She lofted a 21-yard shot down the center that carried just under the crossbar for her ninth goal of the season.
SPU outshot the visitors 14-4, but had its two most dangerous chances stopped by Central goalkeeper Kayla Lipston. Falcons forward
Kaylie Winston's10-yard volley in the fourth minute was denied by a diving save at the right post.
In the 63rd minute, Winston slipped a pass into the box that found teammate
Demi Waitley alone with the keeper. Lipston slid to deflect Waitley's low, 15-yard shot wide of the goal.
"We gave up a tough goal early on. Certainly on the day when you outshoot somebody 14-4 you need to put the ball in the back of the net," said Sekyra.
Lipston finished with three saves for CWU en route to her fifth shutout.
SPU senior
Natalie Harold (Vancouver, Wash./Heritage HS) was credited with one save.
SPU has been blanked just twice this season, both times by the Wildcats. Central won by the same 1-0 score on Oct. 10 in Ellensburg.
"At this point right now I want to play them again," Sekyra exclaimed. "That's the second time they've shut us out. I know we can score goals on them and I know that we can keep the ball a little bit longer. I certainly expect us to come out and play great on Thursday."
Before the game, four Falcons seniors were recognized with a brief ceremony. Winston and Harold were honored, along with
Josie Graybeal and Natalie's sister,
Stephanie Harold. SPU compiled a 61-14-4 record during the last four seasons with the help of this senior quartet.
"Four great seniors who not only did some great things on the field, but they way they represented the program off the field and carried themselves is fantastic," said Sekyra. "In the classroom and everyday I couldn't ask for more as far as quality young women."
NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER
Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.
Central Washington 1, at Seattle Pacific 0
Scoring – 1, CWU, Danielle Brandli, 6:04.
Shots – CWU 4, SPU 14.
Saves – CWU 3 (Kayla Lipston), SPU 1 (
Natalie Harold).
Corner Kicks – CWU 1, SPU 8.
Fouls – CWU 8, SPU 5.
Offsides – CWU 2, SPU 3.
Records
Seattle Pacific 13-5-0, 10-4-0 GNAC
Central Washington 11-5-1, 10-3-1 GNAC
Next SPU Women's Game
GNAC Tournament Semifinals
Seattle Pacific vs. Central Washington
Thursday, Nov. 7, 4:00 p.m. PDT
Starfire Stadium / Tukwila, Wash.
