• FINAL STATS   |   • VIDEO: MAKAYLA  SONSTELIE
• VIDEO: SENIOR NIGHT CEREMONY

SEATTLE – Makayla Sonstelie scored the game-winning goal in the second consecutive contest for Seattle Pacific, which completed the women's soccer regular season Thursday with a 1-0 Great Northwest Athletic Conference victory over Western Oregon at Interbay Stadium.
 
The Falcons (10-6-0) improved to 8-4-0 in league play and secured at least a tie for third place in the final standings. They have 24 points and Northwest Nazarene, which still has one game to play, has 21.
 
Even if the Crusaders win Saturday, SPU owns the tiebreaker and will be the No. 3 seed in next week's GNAC Tournament. The opponent will be either second-ranked Western Washington or Concordia, whichever wins their matchup Saturday in Bellingham to claim the regular-season title.
 
The four-team GNAC Tournament begins on Nov. 2 with two semifinal games, slated for 4 and 7 p.m. at Tuominen Yard in Portland, Ore. The championship game will be contested on Nov. 4 at 1 p.m.
 
Sonstelie got Thursday's only goal just 1:23 before halftime. Teammate Madison Ibale served a long ball into the box that a Wolves defender tried to head back to her goalkeeper. The back pass went astray and Sonstelie swept in to steal the ball and slip it into the goal at 43:37.
 
That was the second career score for the junior midfielder, whose first goal came in the 10th minute of Saturday's 3-0 win over Montana State Billings.

 

Senior goalkeeper Molly Stinson, who made two saves, and the Falcons' defense made sure that one-goal lead held firm en route to the team's third shutout in the last four outings.
 
Caitlin Kastelic registered six saves for the Wolves who were outshot by a 22-9 margin.
 
WOU (2-11-2) saw its GNAC record fall to 1-8-2.
 
Despite being limited to one goal, the Falcons were not without their dangerous opportunities, two of them generated by first-half corner kicks. Senior Maddy Booster send a shot just wide left in the 27th minute and junior Kasey Reeve headed an attempt off the crossbar in the 34th.
 
Sonstelie nearly added a second goal with three chances early in the second half. Her 47th minute header was stopped by Kastelic and an attempt in the 57th sailed high. Sonstelie's nearest miss came 2:35 after halftime when she broke free into the box, one-on-one with the goalkeeper and slid a low shot inches wide of the left post.
 
Junior Sydnee Smith almost got into the scoring column in the 55th minute for the Falcons, forcing a diving deflection from Kastelic that barely pushed the ball around the right post for a corner kick.
 
Seattle Pacific's six senior were celebrated with a ceremony prior to the game that marked their final home playing appearance. That class helped compile a 47-21-9 record during the last four seasons, including a 22-5-6 mark at Interbay Stadium.
 
The senior class is comprised of Maddy Booster, Simone Herzberg, Brooke Holland, Brooke Pingrey, Maddie Sjothun and Molly Stinson.
 

 
NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER
Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash
 
at Seattle Pacific 1, Western Oregon 0
 
Scoring – 1, SPU, Makayla Sonstelie, 43:37.
 
                      1   2  --  TOTAL
Western Oregon        0   0  --    0
Seattle Pacific       1   0  --    1
 
Shots – WOU 9, SPU 22.
Shots on goal – WOU 7, SPU 2.
Saves – WOU 6 (Caitlin Kastelic), SPU 2 (Molly Stinson).
Corner kicks – WOU 2, SPU 11.
Fouls – WOU 6, SPU 4.
Offsides – WOU 2, SPU 2.
 
Records
Western Oregon 2-11-2, 1-8-2 GNAC
Seattle Pacific 10-6-0, 8-4-0 GNAC
 
 
Next SPU Women's Soccer Game
GNAC Tournament
Thursday, Nov. 2, Opponent TBA, 4:00 or 7:00 p.m.
Tuominen Yard / Portland, Ore.