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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2 –
Central Washington at Seattle Pacific
7:00 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
• LiveStats:  www.sidearmstats.com/spu/wsoc
 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4 –
Saint Martin's at Seattle Pacific
4:30 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
• LiveStats:  www.sidearmstats.com/spu/wsoc
 
The Seattle Pacific women's soccer team seeks to rebound from its first Great Northwest Athletic Conference setback with a four-game homestand that begins this week. The second-place Falcons (4-2-1, 2-1-1 GNAC) entertain Central Washington (3-5-0, 2-2-0) on Thursday, Oct. 2 for a 7 p.m. game at Interbay Stadium as the nightcap of a doubleheader with the SPU men who kick off at 4:30 p.m. The Wildcats swept the two regular-season meetings last year with a pair of 1-0 wins before SPU responded with a 2-1 semifinal victory en route to the 2013 GNAC Tournament championship. On Saturday, Oct. 4, the Saint Martin's women (0-6-2, 0-3-1) invade Interbay Stadium at 4:30 p.m. as the opener of another soccer doubleheader. SPU won all 14 previous meetings against the Saints. 

 

Dynamic Duo
SPU is the highest scoring team in the conference with 17 goals. Ten of those scores came from the prolific pair of Isabel Farrell and Hannah Huesers. They are tied for the GNAC lead with five goals apiece, while no other Falcon has more than one.
 

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.
 
Last Week
The Falcons drew a split of two road games last week, beginning with an impressive 4-1 win at Northwest Nazarene that halted the Crusaders five-game unbeaten streak. Isabel Farrell compiled a goal and two assists in Thursday's victory. On Saturday at Montana State Billings, SPU went ahead on a seventh-minute goal by Hannah Huesers, but the Yellowjackets rallied with two second-half scores for the 2-1 win.
 
Throw-In
Chuck Sekyra recorded his 200th coaching victory at SPU on Sept. 18 with a 4-1 home win over Simon Fraser. He has a 201-31-18 record in 12 seasons.
 


GNAC Title Hunt
Seattle Pacific seeks to reclaim the GNAC regular-season championship after having its three-year streak halted with Western Washington wins in 2012 and 2013. The Falcons were projected second by a preseason poll of the league's coaches, but got two first-place votes. WWU was picked first, garnering the other six first-place tallies. SPU won eight of the 13 titles since the GNAC began sponsoring women's soccer in 2001.
 
Playoff Pursuit
The Falcons eye a return to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the 12th straight year. They won the 2008 national championship. Last season SPU reached the West Region semifinal before losing 2-0 at Western Washington. The Falcons advanced to the Final Four on three occasions (2005, 2007, 2008).
 
2014 Preview
Nine starters return from the 2013 GNAC Tournament champions, including first-team All-West Region forward Laura Moore who topped SPU with eight goals. Also back is Shayla Page, a two-time all-region defender who helped the team blank 11 opponents and compile a 0.72 goals against average. The top-nine goal producers return from last season's Falcons, who outscored foes 39-16. Alexa Diaz is back after distributing a team-leading eight assists in 2013. A trio of All-GNAC midfielders returns in senior Demi Waitley and juniors Emma Holm and Ashley Shaw. Senior Alexa Hughes takes over primary goalkeeping duties after not surrendering a goal in 180 minutes during 2013. Junior Isabel Farrell, a transfer from Washington, adds a dynamic midfield presence.
 
Scouting the Opponents
Central Washington (3-5-0, 2-2-0 GNAC) -- The fourth-place Wildcats are coming off a runner-up finish in the 2013 GNAC standings. CWU evened its GNAC record with a 3-2 win at Northwest Nazarene on a golden goal with one second left in the final overtime. Mackenzie NolTe leads the attack with four goals while Hadli Farrand has three goals and a team-high three assists. Goalkeeper Kayla Lipston posted one shutout and a 1.82 goals against average. The Wildcats swept the regular-season series last year with matching 1-0 wins in Ellensburg and Seattle. SPU won the last meeting 2-1 in the 2013 GNAC Tournament semifinals.  The Falcons lead the all-time series 21-4-2.
 
Saint Martin's (0-6-2, 0-3-1 GNAC) -- The Saints are winless despite playing teams tough. They lost 2-1 in double overtime at league-leading Western Washington before falling 1-0 at Simon Fraser in the last outing. Sasha Dini accounted for two of the team's five goals. Goalkeeper Sunny De Boer compiled 47 saves and a 1.74 goals against average. SPU won all 14 previous meetings with the Saints, including a 1-0 win last year in Lacey on a goal by Heather Young. The Falcons also won the rematch, a 3-2 decision in Seattle.

 

Coach Chuck  Sekyra
In his 12th season, Chuck Sekyra has guided Seattle Pacific to a remarkable 201-31-18 record, three Final Four appearances and the 2008 national championship. Sekyra posted his 200th win on Sept. 18, 2013 with a 4-1 home victory over Simon Fraser. He directed the 2013 unit to the GNAC Tournament title. Seven of Sekyra's SPU squads won GNAC regular-season championships and all 12 of his teams 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.
 
2013 Review
The SPU women registered a 15-6-1 overall record in 2013, won GNAC Tournament championship and participated in the postseason for the 11th straight season. They beat Sonoma State 1-0 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament before falling 2-0 at Western Washington. The Falcons had a 10-4-0 conference record, finishing third in the GNAC standings. Graduated goalkeeper Natalie Harold was the GNAC Tournament MVP and defender Josie Graybeal is the only other departed starter. SPU outscored foes 39-16 led by the eight goals of Laura Moore and six from Hannah Huesers. The defense blanked 11 opponents.