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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1 –
(#5) Western Washington at (#24) Seattle Pacific
7:00 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3 –
Northwest Nazarene at (#24) Seattle Pacific
7:00 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
 
• LiveStats for both games:  http://www.sidearmstats.com/spu/wsoc/
 
A battle between nationally ranked Northwest women's soccer rivals takes place Thursday, Oct. 1 when No. 24 Seattle Pacific (5-1-1, 1-1-1 GNAC) entertains No. 5 Western Washington (7-1-0, 3-0-0). Kick-off is 7 p.m. at Interbay Stadium for the matchup between the 2014 GNAC Tournament champions (SPU) and the regular-season winner (WWU). SPU has not defeated the Vikings since 2012, but drew three ties and prevailed in two shootouts during that span. Saturday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. at Interbay features a rematch of the Falcons lone loss, a 1-0 setback on Sept. 24 at Northwest Nazarene (4-3-1, 1-1-1).  With that win, the Crusaders halted a 27-game losing streak versus SPU, their first victory since 2001.
 
Ticket Talk
Tickets for SPU soccer games can be purchased at Interbay Stadium (3027 17th Ave. W., Seattle 98119) on game day. Ticket windows open one hour prior to kickoff. All seats are general admission, priced at $6 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens. SPU students and staff are admitted free with i.d. Discounted group rates can be arranged by contacting the SPU Athletics Ticket Office in advance at:  206-281-2085.
 
Ranking Report
The SPU women dropped to 24th in this week's national coaches rankings after polling at No. 11 last week. They did not receive any votes in the preseason poll.
 
Throw-Ins
SPU's Laura Moore ranks No. 5 nationally with three game-winning goals this season ... Hannah Huesers is tied for seventh among all-time SPU scorers with 25 career goals ... Five players account for all of the Falcons points, Moore (4 goals/2 assists), Huesers (4/1), Brooke Lancaster (1/0), Isabel Farrell (0/3) and Brooke Holland (0/1).


 
Playoff Pursuit
Seattle Pacific seeks to return to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the 13th straight year. The Falcons won the 2008 national championship. Last season they suffered a 2-1 double-overtime, first-round loss to Cal State Stanislaus in Bellingham, Wash. SPU advanced to the Final Four on three occasions (2005, 2007, 2008).
 
Last Week
The Falcons suffered their first setback with a 1-0 loss at Northwest Nazarene (Sept. 24). They were on the ropes again two days later at Saint Martin's (Sept. 26) before Hannah Huesers netted the equalizer with seven seconds left in regulation to force overtime. A golden goal by Laura Moore 1:15 into overtime secured the 2-1 victory.
 
2015 Preview
Seven starters return from the 2014 GNAC Tournament champions, including the league's Player of the Year and its leading scorer. Senior midfielder Isabel Farrell took home the league's top individual honor last year along with the Newcomer of the Year award, after transferring from Washington. She compiled eight goals and seven assists. Junior forward Hannah Huesers topped all GNAC scorers with 15 goals in 2014 and five of those were game-winning strikes. Those two were joined on the first-team all-conference squad by senior midfielder Laura Moore, who tallied four goals and seven assists for the Falcons. Returning players accounted for 32 goals last season, helping SPU outscore opponents by a 38-16 margin. The stingy SPU defense features second-team All-GNAC selection Shayla Page, a senior. Sophomore goalkeeper Molly Stinson took over the starting job for the final five games in 2014 and forged two shutouts and a fine 0.48 goals against average. Adding to the talent base are six veterans that each drew at least one start last year along with eight incoming freshman and Northern Arizona transfer Maddie Sjothun.
 
This Week's Opponents
Western Washington (7-1-0, 3-0-0) -- The fifth-ranked Vikings won their third straight GNAC regular-season title in 2014 with an undefeated 11-0-3 mark. They lost to SPU in each of last two GNAC Tournaments, both on shootouts. The Vikings are outscoring opponents 16-3, sparked by the five goals of Catherine Miles. Goalkeeper Ashley Haden has four shutouts and a 0.39 goals against average. Travis Connell, a four-year SPU men's soccer letterman (1991-95), is in his 13th year and owns WWU's all-time mark with 164 coaching wins. The Falcons lead the all-time series 18-8-6 despite not beating Western since Oct. 27, 2012 covering a span of seven games during which WWU went 4-0-3. The teams tied 1-1 on Sept. 20 in Seattle during last season's first meeting and the Vikings were 1-0 victors on Oct. 23 in Bellingham. They played to a 1-1 draw in the 2014 GNAC championship game before the Falcons were declared winners by winning the penalty-kick tiebreaker 5-4.
 
Northwest Nazarene (4-3-1, 1-1-1 GNAC) -- The Crusaders are among four teams tied for third place in the GNAC with matching 1-1-1 records, a list that includes SPU. NNU has outscored opponents 15-10 paced by the four goals of Nicole Nsa. Goalkeeper Danielle Ortiz compiled four shutouts and a 1.20 goals against average. The Crusaders defeated SPU 1-0 on Thursday (Sept. 24) in Nampa, Idaho on goal in the 58th minute by Sarah Jenkins. That win halted a 27-game losing streak and was their first win over the Falcons since their inaugural meeting in 2001. SPU still leads the all-time series by a 27-2 count.

 

Coach Arby Busey
Arby Busey begins his 10th year on the Seattle Pacific staff and his first as the interim head coach. He served the previous nine seasons as an assistant to Chuck Sekyra, who resigned in January after compiling a 209-34-20 record in 12 seasons. Busey has a 5-1-1 record as the third coach in the 15-year history of the program. That list includes the two-year stint of inaugural coach Bobby Bruch, who posted a 21-14-3 mark from 2001-02. From his assistant post since 2006, Busey helped the Falcons to an impressive 95-30-12 record and playoff appearances each season. SPU won the 2008 NCAA Division II championship and reached the 2007 national semifinals during his tenure. Previously, Busey served as the head women's soccer coach at the University of Idaho from 2002-04 after two years as an assistant. He then returned to his Alma Mater as an assistant from 2005-06. He played at Villanova and graduated in 1993. Busey's first coaching job was an assistant post at Mercer Island (Wash.) High School from 1994-98. He has worked as an elite-level club coach with the Olympic Development Program, Northwest Nationals and Crossfire Premier.
 
2014 Review
The Falcons fashioned a 12-5-3 overall record in 2014 and tied for second in the GNAC with a 9-3-2 mark. They captured their second straight GNAC Tournament championship with a tiebreaker triumph over regular-season winner Western Washington after the teams tied 1-1. SPU made its 12th consecutive NCAA playoff appearance, but fell 2-1 in double overtime to Cal State Stanislaus in the opening round. Four starters departed from that squad, including midfielders Demi Waitley and Alexa Diaz along with defender Arden Matro. Goalkeeper Alexa Hughes started the first 15 games in 2014 before being replaced by Molly Stinson. SPU outscored foes 38-16 led by the 15 goals of GNAC leader Hannah Huesers and eight from league MVP Isabel Farrell.
 
Dynamic Duo
SPU was the highest scoring team in the conference with 38 goals during the 2014 season. Of those scores, 23 came from the prolific pair of Hannah Huesers (15) and Isabel Farrell (8), who ranked first and second among GNAC scoring leaders. Farrell was the 2014 GNAC Player of the Year and Huesers was a first-team all-league honoree.
 
Next Week
The Falcons conclude a three-game homestand by hosting Concordia on Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. before starting a four-game road trip at Western Oregon on Oct. 10.