• FINAL STATS

BURNABY, B.C. – Ninety minutes after Julia DeVere's goal first shook Simon Fraser, Kasey Reeve provided the decisive aftershock with a game-winning goal early in overtime as Seattle Pacific came back across the Canadian border a 3-2 winner in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's soccer game Thursday at Terry Fox Field.
 
Makena Rietz also scored for the Falcons (6-3-0/10-4-1), who reached 10 wins for the 17th straight season and all but clinched a berth in the conference postseason tournament. Another win would secure the berth, and the next two games are at home.
 
After bringing down a ball from Sydnee Smith near the penalty spot, Reeve whirled and struck a 10-yard half-volley into the right corner just 2-minutes, 41-second into the golden goal extra session.
 
It was the first overtime victory for Seattle Pacific this season. Simon Fraser won, 2-1, in overtime at Interbay Stadium three weeks ago.
 
It was the fifth SPU road win and the fourth in the last five tries. Simon Fraser had entered the game a perfect 5-0-0 at home while allowing only one goal. Overall, the Clan was unbeaten in seven games.
 
In a matchup of two of the West Region's top 10 teams, the Falcons were early birds, staking a two-goal lead in the first 28 minutes through DeVere and Reitz before the momentum swung entirely toward Simon Fraser (7-2-1/9-4-1) for the next 45 minutes.
 
The first jolt caught the Clan pushed upfield. It started with Kaytlin Willis pumping a 45-yard ball from the back, and DeVere running onto it just inside the box. She beat onrushing keeper Nicole Anderson to the ball, using her first touch to loft it softly into the net from 16 yards at 2:33.
 
Doubling the lead in the 28th minute, Rietz took a feed from Sophia Chilczuk at top of box and fired left-footed from 17 yards into upper right corner. It was Rietz's first career goal. It would also be 33 minutes before SPU would generate another shot.
 
Simon Fraser sent in four substitutes and seized control, closing down space in midfield and eventually equalizing three seconds before halftime.
 
The Falcons' defense was slow to push out following a short clearance the Clan capitalized. Kayla Goncalves slotted a ball from out top to an unmarked substitute, Katie MacEwen. Standing just 8 yards from the SPU goal, MacEwen redirected the ball to the right corner in the 39th minute.
 
Another defensive miscue brought Simon Fraser level. In the final seconds of the period, an attempted clearance deflected high into the air. Goalkeeper Riley Travis jumped but missed the bouncing ball, allowing Claire Bareilles to poke it to Jenna-lee Baxter, who stroked in into the empty net from point-blank range.
 
Rarely able to set-up and retain possession in the attacking third since scoring their second goal, the frustrated Falcons finally began to staunch the SFU pressure in the final half-hour of regulation.
 
On a counterattack, Claire Neder's 22-yard effort skipped off the crossbar with 27 minutes remaining – the first shot since Rietz's goal. Neder sent another long-distance try whistling past the post 30 seconds before Reeves's winner, her fifth goal of the season.
 
Playing the final four regular season games in a span of 10 days, SPU hosts Montana State Billings on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. It will serve as Senior Day for the Falcons.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER
Thursday, Oct. 18, 2018
Terry Fox Field / Burnaby, B.C.
 
Seattle Pacific 3, at Simon Fraser 2 (ot)
 
Scoring – 1, SPU, Julia DeVere (Kaytlin Willis) 2:33; 2, SPU, Makena Rietz (Sophia Chilczuk) 27:23; 3, SFU, Katie MacEwen (Kayla Goncalves, Katelyn Erhardsen) 38:39; 4, SFU, Jenna-lee Baxter (Claire Bareilles, Goncalves) 44:57; 5, SPU, Kasey Reeve (Sydnee Smith) 92:41.
 
                         1   2  OT  -- TOTAL
Seattle Pacific          2   0   1  --   3
Simon Fraser             2   0   0  --   2

Shots – SPU 8, SFU 10
Shots on Goal – SPU 5, SFU 7
Saves – SPU 5 (Riley Travis), SFU (Nicole Anderson) 2
Corner kicks – SPU 4, SFU 2
Fouls – SPU 6, SFU 4
Offsides – SPU 1, SFU 1

Records
Seattle Pacific 10-4-1, 6-3-0 GNAC
Simon Fraser 9-4-0, 7-2-1 GNAC
 
 
Next SPU Women's Soccer Game
Montana State Billings at Seattle Pacific
Saturday, Oct. 20, 3:00 p.m. PDT
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.