• FINAL STATS

PORTLAND, Ore. – Seattle Pacific's Julia DeVere evened the score in the 83rd minute Thursday, but Concordia responded with a goal with 3:22 left in regulation to secure a 2-1 Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's soccer decision at Tuominen Yard.
 
The game was scoreless for the opening 72 minutes before Brenda Uribe found the goal from close range during a scramble in the SPU goalmouth. DeVere netted the equalizer at 82:12 with a 20-yard chip over the goalkeeper.
 
Just over four minutes later, Megan Myers got the game-winner for the Cavaliers with a fine finish after a dribbling run into the box.
 
"The result is disappointing, that's how you have to frame it in terms of moving forward," said third-year SPU coach Arby Busey. "The game itself, the way that we played, nothing disappointing about that.
 
"I'm proud of the effort and the attitude and the commitment that we showed in the game. That kind of attitude and effort is going to be a winning scenario on most nights. Unfortunately tonight wasn't one of those, and the result isn't what we would have liked."
 
The Falcons (5-3-0) had their three-game winning streak halted, suffering their first league setback. They entered the contest tied atop the GNAC standings, but drop to third place with a 3-1-0 record.
 
It was another close one for the SPU women as seven of their eight games have been decided by one-goal margins.
 
Concordia (6-2-1) extended its unbeaten stretch to five games and remained undefeated in conference play with a 3-0-1 mark.
 

Senior goalkeeper Molly Stinson posted five saves for the Falcons, who were outshot by a slim 14-13 margin. The last shot of the contest proved decisive in an otherwise evenly played game.
 
"These were two good teams that are very familiar with each other. The game was back-and-forth and could have gone either direction," said Busey. "But with the chances that they created, they got us for two and we could only find the net one time."
 
The Cavaliers capitalized on a loose ball in the box for the initial tally. The ball eventually caromed off a Falcons defender and fell at Uribe's feet. She punched it in at 72:17.
 
The tying goal by DeVere came after she reached the ball just outside the box on the left side and saw goalkeeper Anna Miller off her line. DeVere directed a looping shot just over Miller and into the upper right of the goal with 7:48 left to play.
 
"The ball was kind of bobbling around and didn't look like anybody necessarily had control of it and it bounced to her. She saw an opportunity and caught it flush with a volley," Busey described. "She struck it really well and it just kind of dipped in over the top of the goalkeeper's head. I don't think she expected it because it came as a little bit of something out of nothing in terms of that chance."
 
DeVere has been on a roll recently. This was her fourth score of the season, all of them coming during the last five outings. She recorded her first multi-goal game at home last Thursday, fueling a 4-1 win over Saint Martin's with a pair of scores.
 
"She's growing in confidence. One goal kind of begets the next one in a lot of ways," Busey said. "Julia is in really good form right now and feeling good about her ability. She is taking a lot of risk right now, which is great because she is being rewarded for the risks that she's taking.
 
"Julia's a kid that we knew had a lot in her and it's nice for her to start realizing a lot of that ability, and to be rewarded with points on the board."
 
The decisive strike by Myers, at 86:38, capped her run through the left side of the box. She broke free and dribbled toward the endline near the left post before sending an eight-yard shot high into the goal from a difficult angle.
 
"Unfortunately we don't have a result to bring home with us," Busey concluded. "I told them after the game that 'the day we are okay with not getting the result is probably the day we all need to hang up the boots.' But as far as moving on we need to remember what we did to create those opportunities because we did it a lot tonight and we played really well."
 
The Falcons remain on the road to visit Monmouth, Ore. on Saturday. Kick-off is 1 p.m. against Western Oregon as the second of four consecutive road games.
 
NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER
Thursday, September 28, 2017
Tuominen Yard / Portland, Ore.
 
at Concordia (Ore.) 2, Seattle Pacific 1
 
Scoring – 1, CU, Brenda Uribe, 72:17; 2, SPU, Julia DeVere, 82:12; 3, CU, Megan Myers, 86:38.
 
                     1   2  --  TOTAL
Concordia            0   2  --    2
Seattle Pacific      0   1  --    1
 
Shots – SPU 13, CU 14.
Saves – SPU 5 (Molly Stinson), CU 4 (Anna Miller).
Corner Kicks – SPU 2, CU 6.
Fouls – SPU 12, CU 5.
Offsides – SPU 3, CU 1.
 
Records
Seattle Pacific 5-3-0, 3-1-0 GNAC
Concordia 6-2-1, 3-0-1 GNAC
 
Next SPU Women's Soccer Game
Seattle Pacific at Western Oregon
Saturday, Sept. 30, 1:00 p.m. PDT
WOU Soccer Field / Monmouth, Ore.