Box Score    |     Final Stats

MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Falcons found a way to win despite many motivating factors favoring their foe.
 
Isabel Farrell converted a penalty kick in the 29th minute for the Seattle Pacific women, who extended their unbeaten streak to five games with Saturday's 1-0 Great Northwest Athletic Conference win over Western Oregon.
 
The second-place Falcons (8-3-2) improved to 6-2-2 in league play with their third consecutive victory. They have four wins and a tie in their last five games, helped by two goals and three assists from Farrell. She tallied at least one point in four of those outings.
 
The Wolves were previously undefeated in six GNAC home games, surrendering just two goals. Saturday marked the final game at WOU Soccer Field for their senior team members.
 
"When you play a team that doesn't lose at home, rarely gives up goals, on their Senior Day and it's a televised game, there's a lot going their way. Our kids stepped up pretty well," said SPU coach Chuck Sekyra.
 
"It was a really strong performance against a team that makes it hard to play against. They bunker in, everything is direct in the back, they try to put a lot of pressure on you and it's a very small field so they are hard to break down."
 
WOU (5-5-4) had its own five-game undefeated streak snapped, dropping to 3-3-4 in GNAC games.
 
Junior forward Laura Moore (Kent, Wash./Kentwood HS) created the scoring situation. She was in a dangerous position in the center of the box when Amanda Rose Johnson punched her in the back of the head while trying to clear the ball, setting up the penalty kick at 28:30. The WOU goalkeeper was issued a yellow card for the hard foul.

 

Farrell (Redmond, Wash./Interlake HS) finished from the 12-yard spot for the second time in as many tries this season. The University of Washington transfer ranks second on the team with seven goals and boasts an SPU-high three game-winning scores.
 
The junior midfielder nearly added a second goal before halftime, but her 21st-minute shot caromed off the crossbar and she hit the post 18 minutes after that.
 
"Izzy played a great game against a team that had a player follow her around everywhere," Sekyra described. "She got man-to-man coverage the entire game and just kept losing that player. That made her even more eager to get forward and get going in "you-can't-stop-me" mode."
 
Fifteen minutes into the second half, senior Demi Waitley (Coronado, Calif.) had a shot cleared off the line by a WOU defender.
 
The slim one-goal margin withstood a furious Wolves assault during the final nine minutes. They attempted the game's final five shots, the most threatening an 88th-minute blast by Vicky Rosales that travelled just wide of the right post.
 
Western's final attempt, a lofted shot by Makana Pundyke, was grabbed near the left post by goalkeeper Alexa Hughes with 1:12 left to play.
 
"Our team stayed the course the entire game, just had a nice even keel to them about going about getting a win," Sekyra said. "The back line defended really well and Alexa Hughes was very good in goal."
 
Hughes (Everett, Wash./Archbishop Murphy HS) stopped five shots to preserve the victory.
 
Johnson made two saves for the Wolves, who were edged in the shot count by a 13-12 margin. The hosts actually had more shots directly on goal, leading that statistical category 5-4.
 
The Falcons have two road games next week, beginning on Thursday at league-leading Western Washington. Kick-off is 7 p.m. at Harrington Field, the Vikings' new on-campus soccer venue.
 
"We're looking forward to playing them" said Sekyra. "They are always a tough team, but we're peaking at the right time."
 
The SPU women travel to Burnaby, B.C. to clash with Simon Fraser on Saturday at 5 p.m. Their next home game is Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. against Western Oregon.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER
Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014
WOU Soccer Field / Monmouth, Ore.
 
Seattle Pacific 1, at Western Oregon 0
 
Scoring – 1, SPU, Isabel Farrell (pk), 28:30.
 
Shots – SPU 13, WOU 12.
Saves – SPU 5 (Alexa Hughes), WOU 3 (Amanda Rose Johnson 2, team 1).
Corner Kicks – SPU 2, WOU 3.
Fouls – SPU 13, WOU 13.
Offsides – SPU 2, WOU 0.
 
Records
Seattle Pacific 8-3-2, 6-2-2 GNAC
Western Oregon 5-5-4, 3-3-4 GNAC
 
Next SPU Women's Game
Seattle Pacific at Western Washington
Thursday, Oct. 23, 7:00 p.m.
Harrington Field / Bellingham, Wash.