Box Score  •   Final Stats   •   VIDEO: Ali  Martin   •   VIDEO: Senior Ceremony

SEATTLE – After taking center stage as honorees in the pre-game ceremony, a pair of SPU seniors proceeded to play starring roles during their final show at Interbay Stadium.
 
Demi Waitley and Ali Martin each produced a second-half goal Thursday in their last home game, leading the Seattle Pacific women to a 3-0 Great Northwest Athletic Conference soccer victory over Western Oregon.
 
"It was a thoroughly dominating performance and I don't think you could write a better script for a Senior Night," said SPU coach Chuck Sekyra. "It's one of the best Senior Nights I've ever been a part of as a coach here."


 
Thursday marked the last home playing appearance for seven SPU seniors, including Waitley and Martin. They were recognized before the game along with senior teammates Alexa Hughes, Alexa Diaz, Arden Matro, Annie Thomas and Heather Young. Accompanied by several family members, each senior was introduced individually, drawing a hearty applause from the crowd.
 
They then gave the crowd something to cheer about during the game.
 
The first half was scoreless despite SPU controlling the run of play and dominating the shot count 11-3.
 
"That is a team that prides itself on playing well defensively," Sekyra said of the Wolves, who had been scored on just 13 times all season for a miniscule 0.77 goals against average.
 
"We went in the locker room at halftime and asked our players to be way more assertive and aggressive in a couple areas, and they were. It was just that simple," Sekyra described.
 
The inspiring halftime speech paid immediate dividends.

 

Hannah Huesers (Lake Stevens, Wash./Lake Stevens HS) broke the deadlock 3:35 after intermission. She raced to reach a through pass from Isabel Farrell and slipped a low 17-yard shot inside the right post at 48:35 for her league-leading 13th goal. The sophomore forward has amassed seven goals during the last six outings.
 
Just over three minutes later, Waitley (Coronado, Calif.) added a second SPU score off a pass from Laura Moore. She gathered the ball, took a dribble and directed a hard shot into the upper right side of the Wolves goal at 51:57. That was the senior forward's first goal this season and the seventh of her career.
 
SPU continued to dictate play and eventually created a third goal when Martin sprinted to a loose ball and unleashed a looping 28-yard shot that carried just under the crossbar at 83:25. Martin netted her first goal of the year and the 14th career tally.
 
"This team is peaking at the right time and it was fun tonight," said Sekyra. "It was wonderful for Ali Martin and Demi Waitley to score after Hannah Huesers got us off to a good start."
 
The final shot count was 27-6 in the Falcons' favor.

 

Senior starter Alexa Hughes (Everett, Wash./Archbishop Murphy HS) was not required to make a save in the first half before being replaced at halftime. Falcons freshman backup goalkeeper Molly Stinson (Woodinville, Wash./Woodinville HS) stopped two shots during the final 45 minutes.
 
The Wolves also replaced keepers at halftime. Amanda Rose Johnson collected four saves in a scoreless first half and Hillary Lutz denied six shots while allowing three goals.
 
WOU (6-7-4) fell to 4-5-4 in conference games and was eliminated from GNAC Tournament contention.
 
The Falcons (10-4-2) improved to 8-3-2 in league play to forge a second-place tie with Montana State Billings with one game to play.
 
SPU closes out the regular season schedule on Saturday at Central Washington. Kick-off is 11 a.m. in Ellensburg.
 
A win or a tie in that game puts the Falcons into the opening semifinal of the GNAC Tournament against MSUB. A Central win could drop SPU into fourth place and a semifinal meeting with top seed Western Washington.
 
Next week the SPU women set out to defend their GNAC Tournament title. The pairings will be determined after Saturday's results are factored in, but the semifinal game times are set for 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 6 at Starfire Stadium in Tukwila, Wash.
 
The winner of the championship game, on Nov. 8 at 1 p.m., receives the GNAC's automatic berth into the NCAA Division II Tournament.
 
After tying Western 1-1 through two overtimes in the 2013 title game, the Falcons captured the league tournament crown with a 4-1 victory in the penalty-kick tiebreaker.
 
As fans departed and the festive atmosphere quieted, Sekyra conducted a team meeting in the Interbay Stadium locker room for the last time in 2014. Then he took another opportunity to praise the great group of seniors.
 
"What they've done on and off the field and how they represent this program has been so impressive. You see what they've done in the classroom and how they go about things.
 
"It is such a great group of women in every way. Character wise especially, these seniors set a standard that I'm really proud of and will be emulated for a while. I've loved having them in this program."

 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER
Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.
 
at Seattle Pacific 3, Western Oregon 0
 
Scoring – 1, SPU, Hannah Huesers (Isabel Farrell), 48.35. 2, SPU, Demi Waitley (Laura Moore), 51:57. 3, SPU, Ali Martin, 83:25.
 
Shots – WOU 6, SPU 27.
Saves – WOU 10 (Amanda Rose Johnson 4, Hillary Lutz 6), SPU 2 (Alexa Hughes 0, Molly Stinson 2).
Corner Kicks – WOU 1, SPU 4.
Fouls– WOU 9, SPU 3.
Offsides – WOU 0, SPU 2.
 
Records
Seattle Pacific 10-4-2, 8-3-2 GNAC
Western Oregon 6-7-4, 4-5-4 GNAC
 
Next SPU Women's Game
Seattle Pacific at Central Washington
Saturday, Nov. 1, 11:00 a.m.
CWU Soccer Field / Seattle, Wash.