Box Score

BURNABY, B.C. – Shrouded in dense fog for much of the match, for the first time in three years the Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's soccer championship game produced a clear winner on Saturday as Western Washington dethroned Seattle Pacific, 3-1, at Terry Fox Field.
 
The second-ranked Vikings scored a pair of goals barely four minutes apart at the outset of the second half, forcing the Falcons to futilely chase the game for the final 40 minutes. A penalty kick by Isabel Farrell in the 67th minute accounted for their only goal.
 
Unbeaten in 17 games and the top seed, Western (18-1-1) wins its first GNAC tournament title since 2012 and earns an automatic berth in the NCAA Division II tournament. Seattle Pacific (13-4-2) presents a strong case for an at-large berth. The entire bracket will be announced Monday at 3:30 PT.
 
The loss snapped Falcons' four-game win streak without allowing a goal, however they have not beaten the Vikings outright in 10 meetings.
 
SPU had upset Western in the previous two conference title matches, thanks to scoring first and then prevailing in penalty kicks. The Vikings wrote a new script this time, first pinning the Falcons in their own half and then delivering the game's first blow.
 
As rain pelted down, Western broke through in the 24th minute on its fourth corner kick, capitalizing on a Falcons miscue. From the right flag, Emily Webster drove an in-swinging ball high into the scrum. The ball glanced backwards off the head of an SPU defender and goalkeeper Molly Stinson got her wet gloves on the ball but could not prevent it from finding the far side of the net.
 
A slew of Western corners kept the pressure on the Falcons, but they remained within a goal until the opening minute of the second period. At 46:00, Caitlyn Jobanek served a cross for Gabriela Pelogi to head home, doubling the lead to 2-0.
 
Four minutes later, at 50:06, the Vikings brought the hammer down. On their ninth (of 14) corner kicks, Becca Cates put the ball into the crease and it emerged on the other side of the Falcons' goal line. Officially it was scored as another own goal, the last touch coming off an SPU defender.

 

Refusing to go quietly, the Falcons created a flurry of chances–four corners and four shots–in the ensuing 15 minutes. Finally Farrell, who scored the golden goal, semifinal winner versus Concordia on Thursday, pulled SPU back into the contest.
 
A foul on Cates resulted in a yellow card and Farrell alone at the spot. She slotted it just inside the left post for her fourth goal of the year.
 
Farrell nearly made it a one-goal game, taking a return pass and advancing into the box in the 72nd minute, only to shoot straight into the arms of Western keeper Ashley Haden.
 
The Vikings, who handed Seattle Pacific three of its four losses, finished with a 16-11 advantage in shots. Jobanek, who scored twice in the semifinal, was named tournament MVP.
 
SPU seeks its 13th straight NCAA tournament berth. Six berths are awarded to the West and the Falcons were ranked fifth entering the week.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER
GNAC Tournament – Championship
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Terry Fox Field / Burnaby, B.C.
 
(#2) Western Washington 3, Seattle Pacific 1
 
Scoring – 1, WWU, Own goal, 23:35; 2, WWU, Gabriela Pelogi (Caitlyn Jobanek) 46:00; 3, WWU, Own goal, 50:06; 4, SPU, Isabel Farrell (pk), 66:09.
 
Shots – SPU 11, WWU 16.
Saves – SPU 7 (Molly Stinson), WWU 6 (Ashley Haden).
Corner Kicks – SPU 5, WWU 14.
Fouls – SPU 5, WWU 10.
Offside – SPU 1, WWU 5.
 
Records
Seattle Pacific 13-4-2
Western Washington 18-1-1
 
Next SPU Women's Game
NCAA Tournament Announcement
Monday, November 9, 3:30 PST (NCAA.com)