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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 –
Metro State at Seattle Pacific
7:00 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
 
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 –
Cal State East Bay at Seattle Pacific
12:00 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
 
• LiveStats for both games:  http://www.sidearmstats.com/spu/wsoc/
 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 –
Seattle Pacific at Northwest Nazarene
12:00 p.m. PDT (1:00 p.m. MDT), NNU Soccer Field, Nampa, Idaho
 • Webcast & LiveStats:  https://portal.stretchinternet.com/spu/
 
A quick, two-game homestand concludes non-conference play for the Seattle Pacific women's soccer team. The Falcons (2-1-0) host two games in three days at Interbay Stadium, beginning with their home opener on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 7 p.m. against Metro State (1-0-1). This is the first regular-season meeting as SPU and the Roadrunners met twice before in the NCAA Division II Tournament. On Monday, Sept. 12 Cal State East Bay (1-0-2) visits Seattle for a noon game. That is just the third meeting between the Pioneers and SPU, which won the previous two encounters. Great Northwest Athletic Conference play begins on the road with a Sept. 17 trip to Nampa, Idaho for a noon Pacific Time game (1 p.m. MDT) against Northwest Nazarene (1-2-0). SPU owns a 28-2 series lead over the Crusaders.
 
Ticket Talk
Individual game 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 Ticket Office in advance at:  206-281-2085.

 

Shutout Streak
Chico State's 86th-minute goal in Wednesday's 1-0 decision was the first allowed by the Falcons after a season-opening stretch of 284 shutout minutes. Also halted was goalkeeper Molly Stinson's streak of 530 scoreless minutes in regular-season games.
 
Playoff Pursuit
Seattle Pacific seeks to return to the NCAA Tournament for the 14th straight year. The current run of 13 consecutive appearances is tied for the longest active playoff streak among Division II women's soccer teams. The Falcons won the 2008 national championship. Last season they reached the West Region semifinal.
 
2016 Preview
Seven starters return from the 2015 NCAA Tournament team, including players that accounted for 23 goals for SPU, which outscored opponents 35-17. Heading the list of returnees is senior forward Hannah Huesers, the 2015 GNAC and West Region Player of the Year. She netted 14 goals to claim the league scoring title for the second straight season. Senior midfielder Emma Holm was an honorable mention All-GNAC honoree in 2015. The defense is backed by junior goalkeeper Molly Stinson who was credited with seven of the team's nine shutouts while compiling an outstanding 0.81 goals against average. Adding to the talent base are six veterans that each drew at least one start last year, along with six incoming freshmen.
 
2015 Review
The Falcons fashioned a 14-5-2 overall record in 2015 and finished third in the conference standings with a 7-3-2 mark. They advanced to the GNAC Tournament championship game for the third straight season before losing 3-1 to Western Washington. The SPU women participated in the postseason for the 13th straight season. They defeated UC San Diego 2-1 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament before falling 1-0 at WWU. A trio of graduated seniors were All-West Region honorees, Laura Moore, Shayla Page and Isabel Farrell, the 2014 GNAC Player of the Year. Junior forward Hannah Huesers led the league with 14 goals en route to 2015 GNAC Player of the Year acclaim.
 
This Week's Opponents
Metro State (1-0-1, 0-0 RMAC) -- Located in Denver, Colo., Metro State is a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Roadrunners opened the year with a 2-0 home win over West Texas A&M before a scoreless draw with 7th-ranked Dallas Baptist. They visit Western Washington on Thursday (Sept. 8) before playing SPU. Bry Sanchez paces the MSU offense with a goal and assist. Goalkeeper Erica Torres has not allowed a goal, covering 200 minutes. The Falcons own a 1-0-1 series lead, including a 3-1 win in the semifinals of the 2008 NCAA Tournament en route to the championship. The two teams officially tied 0-0 in their first meeting, an NCAA quarterfinal game in 2005. The Falcons advanced to the semifinals via a 5-4 edge in the penalty kick tiebreaker.
 
Cal State East Bay (1-0-2, 0-0 CCAA) -- The undefeated Pioneers play Concordia on Saturday at Interbay Stadium before clashing with SPU. Janis Gamboa and Tia Sidtikun each netted one goal for CSUEB while goalkeeper Jasmine Corbett boasts a 0.29 goals against average. Monday marks the third all-time meeting between SPU and East Bay. The teams first met in 2009 with the Falcons winning 1-0 on a goal that was assisted by current SPU assistant Amanda (Johnson) Axelson. The Falcons won 3-2 last year in Hayward on Laura Moore's golden goal with 1:33 left in the final overtime. Hannah Huesers scored SPU's first goal and assisted on the game-winner.
 
Northwest Nazarene (1-2-0, 0-0 GNAC) -- The Crusaders lost their first two games before defeating Warner Pacific 3-2 on Tuesday. They play two home games before hosting SPU on Sept. 17. Ashley Cook-Cox leads the NNU offense with a goal and an assist while three teammates each scored once. Goalkeeper Daniele Ortiz is averaging more than six saves per game.  The Crusaders defeated SPU 1-0 on Sept. 24, 2015 to halt a 27-game losing streak in the series and post their first win over the Falcons since their inaugural meeting in 2001. SPU still leads the all-time series by a 28-2 count, including a 3-1 win in the rematch on Oct. 3 in Seattle.

 

Coach Arby  Busey
Arby Busey is in his 11th year on the Seattle Pacific staff and his second as head coach. In 2015, he directed the Falcons to a 14-5-2 record, third-place GNAC finish (7-3-2) and GNAC Tournament finals berth. SPU advanced to the West Regional semifinals of the NCAA Division II playoffs. Busey has a 16-6-2 record as the third coach in the 16-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, and the 12-year run of Chuck Sekyra who was 209-34-20 from 2003-2014. From his assistant post from 2006-14, 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. He is a 1993 graduate of Villanova and was the Idaho head coach from 2002-04.