Box Score    |     Final Stats

ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Hannah Huesers has a knack for heating up in the second half of a season. It was her only recourse in 2013. This year, her late-season production is capping a complete campaign.
 
Huesers continued her recent scoring spree, netting the lone goal in the 63rd minute Saturday in the Seattle Pacific women's 1-0 Great Northwest Athletic Conference win over Central Washington at the CWU Soccer Complex.
 
The Falcons (11-4-2) fnished the regular season with a 9-3-2 league ledger. They are tied for second in the final conference standings, but due to a tiebreaker enter next week's GNAC Tournament as the No. 3 seed.
 
SPU meets second-seeded Montana State Billings on Thursday, Nov. 6 in a semifinal clash. Kick-off is 4 p.m. at Starfire Stadium in Tukwila, Wash. where top seed Western Washington plays No. 4 Central Washington at 7 p.m.
 
The semifinal winners clash in the championship game on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 1 p.m.
 
"We've been setting goals," SPU coach Chuck Sekyra explained. "We set a goal to win our last three games and we got it done. Now we will set a goal of winning our next two games. That's how we'll look at it."
 
The tournament champion receives the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Division II Tournament. That is likely the only way the Falcons can extend their 11-year streak of playoff appearances as receiving an at-large berth is a long shot.
 
"It's win or go home and our kids are peaking at the right time," added Sekyra. "I'm excited to play in the GNAC Tournament, excited for the challenge of it and excited that we have that opportunity."
 
Huesers broke the scoreless deadlock at 62:20 with a fantastic finish following a long run with the ball past two defenders. She dribbled from 35 yards out into the right side of the box before maneuvering to the goalkeeper's right and firing a 12-yard shot that ripped the left inside-netting.
 
That was the eighth score in the last seven outings for Huesers (Lake Stevens, Wash./Lake Stevens HS), who registered three multi-goal games during that span.
 
"She's being more aggressive and I love it," said Sekyra.
 
"I told Hannah that this is her time of the year. I didn't play her the first seven games last year, so she only had the second half of the season to go on. I told her it is just like last year, she's finishing the season well."
 
As a freshman, Huesers did not leave the bench for the first seven games of the 2013 season. Sekyra finally gave her a chance in Game 8 and she immediately responded with two goals on Sept. 28 against Northwest Nazarene.
 
Huesers finished as SPU's second-leading scorer with six goals despite playing just 14 games.
 
This year, the sophomore forward leads the GNAC with 14 goals, a figure that ties her for fifth among all-time SPU single-season scorers. She matched the total of Meredith Teague, whose 14 goals in 2008 helped her earn the National Player of the Year award for the NCAA Division II champion Falcons.
 
The school record of 17 goals was established in 2003 by Shannon Lovejoy and equaled in 2007 by Sarah Martinez, who also ranks No. 3 with 16 scores in 2005. Huesers also trails No. 4 Jocelyn Charette (15 in 2009).

 

After Huesers goal, the Wildcats stepped up the pressure and had five chances at an equalizer. Freshman goalkeeper Molly Stinson (Woodinville, Wash./Woodinville HS) preserved the victory on a brilliant save of CWU's last attempt with 3:31 left to play. Whitney Lowe's headed attempt off a corner kick was stopped at the lower right corner by Stinson.
 
"Molly Stinson was awesome, she took a goal away today right at the end," Sekyra exclaimed. "She looked like a seasoned veteran out there. I'm proud of her."
 
In her second career start, Stinson stopped five shots en route to her first shutout.
 
Kayla Lipston made five saves for the Wildcats. Both teams attempted 10 shots.
 
Nobody scored during the opening 45 minutes while SPU compiled a 5-3 shot edge. The Falcons attempted the game's first five shots, beginning with an attempt by Ashley Shaw 58 seconds in that was stopped by Lipston.
 
Huesers reeled off back-to-back shots, in the 17th and 18th minutes, that required Lipston saves. After Isabel Farrell's 20th-minute try went wide left, the Falcons did not get a shot off the rest of the half.
 
The Wildcats initial shot came at 22:21 off the foot of Lowe and it was snared by Stinson, who was tested again one minute later as she stopped an attempt by Hadli Farrand.
 
The Falcons now focus on defending their GNAC Tournament title. They tied Western Washington 1-1 through two overtimes in the 2013 championship game before capturing the league tournament crown with a 4-1 victory in the penalty-kick tiebreaker.
 
Thursday's semifinal opponent MSUB was a 2-1 victor on Sept. 27 in Billings during this season's first meeting with SPU and the teams played to a scoreless draw on Oct. 9 in Seattle.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER
Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014
CWU Soccer Complex / Ellensburg, Wash.
 
Seattle Pacific 1, at Central Washington 0
 
Scoring – 1, SPU, Hannah Huesers, 62:20.
 
Shots – SPU 10, CWU 10.
Saves – SPU 5 (Molly Stinson), SPU 5 (Kayla Lipston).
Corner Kicks – SPU 3, CWU 3.
Fouls– SPU 2, CWU 8.
Offsides – SPU 1, CWU 2.
 
Records
Seattle Pacific 11-4-2, 9-3-2 GNAC
Central Washington 8-7-3, 7-4-3 GNAC
 
Next SPU Women's Game
GNAC Tournament Semifinal
Seattle Pacific vs. Montana State Billings
Thursday, Nov. 6, 4:00 p.m.
Starfire Stadium / Tukwila, Wash.