Box Score    |     VIDEO: Coach Arby  Busey

SEATTLE – Caitlyn Jobanek poked in an eight-yard shot early in the second half Thursday, lifting fifth-ranked Western Washington to a 1-0 Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's soccer road victory over No. 24 Seattle Pacific at Interbay Stadium.
 
The Falcons (5-2-1) fell for the first time at home and saw their league ledger drop to 1-2-1.
 
"It's a good team we faced today and all credit to them, they did the job and put a ball in our net," said SPU interim coach Arby Busey. "We couldn't seem to crack them. We had chances and thought we got a lot of the things that we hoped to get out of that game in regards to the chances that we created, but we just couldn't get it past the goalkeeper."


 
Western (8-1-0) retained its perfect GNAC record, improving to 4-0-0.
 
The Vikings capitalized on the second of back-to-back corner kicks early in the second half for the lone goal. Elise Aylward's corner kick created a scramble in the SPU goalmouth and the ball fell to the feet of Jobanek. She pushed it into the left side netting at 48:15 for her first goal of the season.
 
"Their goal was a set piece and they are very, very good at that. We talked about that in our scouting report and they've made a living off of those things," Busey explained.
 
"In these types of games often times it is a set piece that makes the difference and it was the same story tonight -- Western Washington with a very well executed set piece, kid takes a ball that's bouncing around in our box and sticks it in the upper corner. It was a great finish and was the difference in the game."
 
The initial corner kick was earned when Western's Savanna Moorehouse slipped a through pass to Catherine Miles in the left side of the box. Miles took two touches before her point-blank, 10-yard shot was parried past the post by Falcons goalkeeper Molly Stinson (Woodinville HS).
 
The sophomore goalkeeper was credited with seven saves for the Falcons, who were outshot 19-13.
 
"When she was called upon, she was there to make saves," Busey said of Stinson. "She had seven saves and three of those were very, very good and kept us alive. We had to defend a corner kick after her making that save and we didn't do the best job of that. It was a great save."
 
SPU had two terrific chances at an equalizer inside the final three minutes. Isabel Farrell (Interlake HS) had a 10-yard header carry just wide of the right post in the 88th minute.
 
The Falcons final foray came on a cross from Farrell on the left flank with 1:09 remaining. The ball caromed to Hannah Huesers (Lake Stevens HS) near the 12-yard spot, but her open volley was sent right at Ashley Haden. That was the fifth save for the WWU goalkeeper.
 
"We had some great chances at the end," said Busey. "When we were kind of pushing for it and sending numbers forward we created some good opportunities to equalize and tie that thing up and hopefully get it in overtime where we have been pretty good this year. "
 
Western compiled a 10-6 shot advantage during the first half, but the Falcons created the better opportunities.

 

Farrell had two dangerous chances. She bounced a 17-yard shot off the crossbar in the 15th minute. Five minutes later Farrell quickly took a free kick two yards from outside the box that was heading toward the upper left corner before being grabbed by Haden.
 
"We'll be disappointed because we always play for the result and we didn't get the result tonight," Busey said. "But we got a lot of good things done. We created chances against a very good, solid defensive team. We put ourselves in places to get goals.
 
"If we continue to create chances like the ones that we had tonight in that game, at some point they have to start falling. The odds dictate that if you continue to create quality chances, the ball's got to go in the net at some point."
 
The Vikings finest first-half chance came in the 34th minute off the foot of Gabriela Pelogi. She dribbled through the left side of the box before sending a low shot a few feet wide of the left post.
 
Thursday's game was a matchup of the 2014 GNAC Tournament (SPU) and regular-season (WWU) champions.
 
The Falcons remain home to host Northwest Nazarene on Saturday at 7 p.m. The Crusaders defeated SPU 1-0 on Sept. 24 in Nampa, Idaho.
 
"We'll have our hands full. It's going to be a confident group," Busey projected of visiting NNU. "They've obviously beaten us before and they come in here expecting to do that again.
 
"There's some things that we've seen on film and some things that we can do better than the last time we played them. That was another game where we created a lot of opportunities and their goalkeeper was very good and we didn't score. Come Saturday we need to put the ball in the net and if we do that things will go right for us."
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER
Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.
 
(#5) Western Washington 1, at (#24) Seattle Pacific 0
 
Scoring – 1, WWU, Caitlyn Jobanek, 48:15.
 
Shots – WWU 19, SPU 13.
Saves – WWU 5 (Ashley Haden), SPU 7 (Molly Stinson).
Corner Kicks – WWU 5, SPU 3.
Fouls – WWU 9, SPU 7.
Offsides – WWU 2, SPU 3.
 
Records
Seattle Pacific 5-2-1, 1-2-1 GNAC
Western Washington 8-1-0, 4-0-0 GNAC
 
Next SPU Women's Game
Northwest Nazarene at Seattle Pacific
Saturday, Oct. 3, 7:00 p.m.
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.