• PHOTO GALLERY   |   • FINAL STATS

SEATTLE – Megan Moore assisted on both goals Thursday, setting up Kasey Reeve and Sophia Chilczuk to lead Seattle Pacific to a 2-0 home victory over Cal Poly Pomona in the women's soccer season opener for both teams at Interbay Stadium.
 
The Falcons found the goal just 7-minutes, 58-seconds into the season, off the foot of Reeve (Fountain Valley, Calif.). Last year's team leader with 10 goals netted her inaugural score of 2018 on her first shot. The senior forward received a through pass from Moore that freed her for a dribbling run into the right side of the box. Reeve finished from 12 yards with a low shot into the left side, past the onrushing goalkeeper.
 
"Such a good start to things," exclaimed Arby Busey, who begins his fourth year as SPU's head coach. "Pomona was a great challenge for us. They brought a lot of energy to the game and some things that we had to solve, especially this early in the season.
 
"That team was not easy to put the ball in the net on, and Kasey and Sophia came through when and where we needed them to."
 
Just over five minutes into the second half SPU added a second goal when Chilczuk scored on a tap-in. Sydnee Smith's through ball found Moore on the right flank for a cross across the goalmouth. Chilczuk (Kentridge HS), last year's Great Northwest Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year, scored from two yards out at 50:08.
 
A junior midfielder, Moore entered the game with two career assists, but Busey has seen signs of brilliance in training.
 
"Megan been fantastic in the preseason as a creative force for us. She is so intelligent about the game and her movements. She has been really dynamic and carried a lot of the playmaking load for us.
 
"She was pretty special tonight in terms of some of the things she was able to do without the ball at her feet. So that when she gets it at her feet, she can be a surgeon."
 
Freshman Riley Travis, a product of nearby Ballard High School, registered a shutout in her collegiate debut. She was credited with three saves, all of them during the second half.
 
"It was her first college game and Riley was fantastic," said Busey. "She's a kid who played in some really big games as a youth player so we had confidence that this moment wasn't going to be too big for her. She was calm, cool and collected, showing a great presence back there."
 
Travis was one of four freshmen to see their first action in a Falcons uniform. Joining her in the starting lineup was Makena Rietz from Walla Walla (Wash.) High School. Coming on as second-half reserves were Abby Despain (Tahoma HS) and Ava Giovanola (Skyline HS).
 
SPU outshot the vistors by a 13-9 margin and attempted the game's only three corner kicks.
 
The Broncos most dangerous offensive opportunity same in the 83rd minute when Taylor Scott sent a line drive from the left side of the box. Her 16-yard blast was gathered by Travis. The final shot of the game, a header in the 87th minute by Pomona's Amanda Duran, was also denied by Travis.
 
The Falcons remain at home to host Minnesota State Moorhead on Saturday. Kick-off is 1 p.m. at Interbay Stadium and Seattle Pacific will celebrate the 10th anniversary of its national championship team at halftime.
 
SPU defeated previously undefeated West Florida, 1-0, on a golden goal by Janae Godoy with 2:13 left in the final overtime to capture the 2008 NCAA Division II crown.
 
 
THROW-INS
• SPU won its season-opening game for the fifth straight season
• The Falcons improved their all-time record in openers to 14-2-2
• Kasey Reeve has 13 career goals and six of those were game-winning tallies, including Thursday's sixth-minute strike.
• Megan Moore doubled her career assist total as she distributed one in each of her first two seasons
• The Falcons avenged last season's 2-1 overtime setback at Cal Poly Pomona and now own a 3-1 series advantage, having outscored the Broncos 12-2 in the four all-time encounters.


NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER
Thursday, August 30, 2018
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.

at Seattle Pacific 2, Cal Poly Pomona 0

Scoring – 1, SPU, Kasey Reeve (Megan Moore), 7:58; 2, SPU, Sophia Chilczuk (Moore, Sydnee Smith), 50:08.

                       1   2  --  TOTAL
Cal Poly Pomona        0   0  --    0
Seattle Pacific        1   1  --    2
 
Shots – CPP 9, SPU 13.
Saves – CPP 3 (Clarissa Sanchez 0, Sydney Williams 3), SPU 3 (Riley Travis).
Corner Kicks – CPP 0, SPU 3.
Fouls – CPP 7, SPU 9.
Offsides – CPP 1, SPU 5.
 
Records
Cal Poly Pomona 0-1-0
Seattle Pacific 1-0-0

Next SPU Women's Soccer Game
Minnesota State Moorhead at Seattle Pacific
Saturday, Sept. 1, 1:00 p.m. PDT
Interbay Stadium/Seattle, Wash.


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