Box Score

BURNABY, B.C. – Isabel Farrell volleyed home a cross with 1:38 left in the final overtime Thursday, lifting defending champion Seattle Pacific to a 1-0 victory over Concordia in the semifinal round of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Tournament.
 
The third-seeded Falcons (13-3-2) advance to the conference championship game to play top seed Western Washington, which was a 4-0 winner over Montana State Billings in the other semifinal. Kick-off for Saturday's title tilt is 1 p.m. at Terry Fox Field.
 
The winning team receives the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Division II Tournament. The Falcons participated in the playoffs in each of the last 12 seasons.

 

Senior Laura Moore (Kentwood HS) set up the golden goal. She served a cross from the right flank toward the top of the box. Farrell first-timed a right-footed shot from 15 yards that nestled inside the right post at 108:22.

 

"Laura sent in a perfect ball to me, right to my right foot, and I then I just shot it into the corner," Farrell described. "Concordia is a great team, they are great defensively. It was hard to get around them."
 
That was the third goal of the season for the senior midfielder and all of them were game-winning strikes. Farrell (Interlake HS) is a two-time selection on the first-team all-league squad and was the 2014 GNAC Player of the Year.
 
The Cavaliers saw their season end with an 11-4-3 record. They put five attempts on frame and all of them were gathered by SPU sophomore goalkeeper Molly Stinson (Woodinville HS). She registered her seventh shutout for the Falcons, who blanked their last four foes.
 
"They were good tonight. They answered all the questions that were asked of them," said SPU interim coach Arby Busey about his team's defenders. "Concordia was dangerous a few times off the counter attack and we had to snuff some of those chances out.  But they were stout tonight in the back. They were fantastic, that back four along with the goalkeeper."
 
SPU compiled a 26-14 shot advantage, forcing CU goalkeeper Olivia Brock to make nine saves.
 
Busey credited the Cavaliers defense for slowing his team's usually high-scoring attack.
 
"They are a very well coached team. They've got a fantastic goalkeeper and a fantastic back line and they frustrated us a little bit with the way that they kept us at bay and starved us of chances. We're a team that usually is able to create chances and tonight we found it hard to do that with their organization and their game plan."
 
SPU was a 3-1 victor in this season's only previous meeting, defeating Concordia on Oct. 8 in Seattle.
 
It looked like the Falcons might have an easy time again as they controlled the ball early on Thursday, garnering several dangerous opportunities. Three of their first four shots were on goal, while Concordia failed to land a shot on goal in their first three attempts.
 
Brock was very busy in the first half, notching four saves during the opening 45 minutes to two for the Falcons.
 
SPU's best first-half scoring opportunity came when senior forward Hannah Huesers had the ball at the top right corner of the 6-yard box, shooting towards the bottom left corner of the goal. Her attempt cleared just wide of the post.
 
Farrell nearly ended the game in regulation with a near miss in the second half. She unleashed a curving left-footed shot from near the left boundary at 30-yard depth. The shot caught Brock off guard, but bounced off of the crossbar.
 
The SPU women reached the championship game of the four-year-old tournament for the third straight season. Saturday will be a rematch of the last two title tilts.
 
The SPU women captured tournament championships in 2013 and 2014, tying Western Washington 1-1 both years before winning by virtue of the penalty kick tiebreaker.

The second-ranked Vikings (17-1-1) defeated SPU 1-0 on Oct. 1 in Seattle and 3-1 on Oct. 17 in Bellingham. Western won its fourth consecutive GNAC regular-season crown.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER
GNAC Tournament -- Semifinal
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Terry Fox Field / Burnaby, B.C.
 
Seattle Pacific 1, Concordia 0 (2ot)
 
Scoring – 1, SPU, Isabel Farrell (Laura Moore), 108:22.
 
Shots – SPU 24, CU 16.
Saves – SPU 5 (Molly Stinson), CU 9 (Olivia Brock).
Corner Kicks – SPU 7, CU 2.
Fouls – SPU 7, CU 6.
Offsides – SPU 7, CU 1.
 
Records
Seattle Pacific 13-3-2
Concordia 11-4-3
 
Next SPU Women's Game
GNAC Tournament Championship Game
Seattle Pacific vs. Western Washington/MSU Billings Winner
Saturday, Nov. 7, 1:00 p.m. PST
Terry Fox Field / Burnaby, B.C.