• COMPLETE RELEASE (pdf)    |    • VIDEO: Asia  Cayetano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
Seattle Pacific at Saint Martin's
3:30 p.m. PDT, Saints Field, Seattle, Wash.
 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
Seattle Pacific at Central Washington
2:00 p.m. PDT, CWU Soccer Field, Ellensburg, Wash.
 
• Webcast & LiveStats for both games:  http://portal.stretchinternet.com/spu/
 
Seattle Pacific embarks on the Great Northwest Athletic Conference portion of its women's soccer schedule on the road this week with a pair of games in the state of Washington. The Falcons (4-1-1) make the short trip south to Lacey on Thursday, Sept. 20 for a 3:30 p.m. contest at Saint Martin's. That is this year's only encounter between SPU and the Saints. With the addition of a ninth team in 2015, the GNAC is not implementing a double round-robin schedule and the Falcons play four league foes just once (also Northwest Nazarene, Western Washington and Western Oregon). The Falcons won all 21 previous meetings against SMU (4-2-0, 0-1 GNAC), including a sweep of last season's two matchups. On Sept. 22 the SPU women travel to Ellensburg to clash with Central Washington (1-3-2, 1-0 GNAC). Please note that Saturday's game time was recently changed to 2 p.m. after previously being listed with a different start time. The Falcons won last year's only encounter, edging the Wildcats 3-2 on a Sophia Chilczuk golden goal with 32 seconds remaining in the final overtime.
 
Throw-Ins
The Falcons have outscored opponents 10-2 and have not surrendered more than one goal in a game ... SPU leads the GNAC and ranks 15th nationally with a 0.32 goals against average … Half of Sophia Chilczuk's team-leading four goals were game-winning strikes ... It has been feast or famine for the Falcons, who netted two or more goals in their four victories, but were shut out in their other two outings ... Freshman goalkeeper Riley Travis compiled a school single-game record 16 saves in the scoreless draw at Chico State on Sept. 6. The previous SPU standard of 13 saves was established by Molly Stinson on Oct. 29, 2016 ... Julia DeVere was the Sept. 4 GNAC Defender of the Week.


 
Last Week
Sophia Chilczuk and Mickayla Mury each scored after halftime, leading SPU to a 2-0 home victory over Cal State San Bernardino on Sept. 11. Goalkeeper Abby Smith made three saves en route to the shutout. The Falcons tasted defeat for the first time Saturday in the final non-conference game, a 1-0 setback at Biola on Sept. 15. An errant cross in the 10th minute carried into the goal for the game's lone tally. SPU lost despite not allowing a second-half shot while compiling a 13-5 advantage for the game.
 
Get Your Tickets
Tickets for SPU soccer games can now be purchased in advance online at: http://siteline.vendini.com/site/spufalcons.com
 
 

2018 Preview
Eight starters return from last year's SPU team, including the top-three point producers. Senior forward Kasey Reeve paced the Falcons with 22 points on 10 goals and two assists. The All-West Region performer posted half (5) of the team's game-winning goals. Julia DeVere compiled 10 points on four goals and two assists. Sophia Chilczuk was honored as the GNAC Freshman of the Year after registering 11 points with four goals and three assists. The SPU midfield features sophomore Claire Neder, whose four assists topped the team in 2017. Senior Kaytlin Willis, an All-West Region defender, returns to anchor a back line that posted four shutouts and yielded just over one goal per game (1.09) in 2017. Willis started all 17 contests last season alongside Megan Nielsen and Asia Cayetano. Six SPU players garnered 2017 All-GNAC honors and five of them are back. The void left by four-year starting goalkeeper Molly Stinson needs to be filled. She departed after registering a school-record 278 career saves.
 
Playoff Pursuit
Seattle Pacific seeks to ignite a new NCAA Division II Tournament streak after having its national-leading 14-year run halted in 2017. SPU qualified for the playoffs every season from 2003-2016. The Falcons won the 2008 national championship and advanced to the Final Four on three occasions (2005, 2007, 2008).
 
This Week's Opponents
Saint Martin's (4-2-0, 0-1 GNAC) -- The Saints posted a fine 4-1-0 non-conference record before losing 6-1 on Sept. 15 at Northwest Nazarene in their GNAC opener. Kiersten Madsen has played a part in over half of SMU's 13 scores with five goals and two assists. Goalkeepers Sara Christensen and Ali Koehler combined for a 1.99 goals against average. SPU won all 21 previous meetings and swept both 2017 encounters by a combined 10-1 count. The Falcons were 4-1 victors on Sept. 21 in Seattle and won 6-0 on Oct. 14 at Saint Martin's behind a Kasey Reeve hat trick.
 
Central Washington (1-3-2, 1-0-0 GNAC) -- The Wildcats picked up their first win on Saturday, a 4-0 triumph at Montana State Billings in their GNAC opener. Madison Bradley accounted for nearly half of CWU's nine goals, scoring four times herself. The goalkeeping tandem of Emily Thomson and Kelsey Bechtholdt teamed up for a 1.86 goals against average. The teams played just once last season after meeting four times in 2016. SPU won the lone 2017 encounter 3-2 on Oct. 12 in Seattle, getting a golden goal by Sophia Chilczuk with 32 seconds left in the final overtime.  The Falcons lead the all-time series 24-7-4.
 
Coach Busey
Arby Busey is in his 13th year on the Seattle Pacific staff and his fourth as head coach. In 2017, he directed the Falcons to a 10-7-0 record and third-place GNAC finish (8-4-0). He has a 29-18-7 record at SPU, a ledger that doesn't include 10 wins from 2015 that were vacated due to the use of an ineligible player. SPU advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs in Busey's first two seasons at the helm. He is the third coach in the 18-year history of the program, including 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 where he had an 8-40-7 record.
 
Next Week
The first GNAC home games await the Falcons next week, beginning with a Sept. 27 matchup versus Simon Fraser. Kick-off is 5 p.m. at Interbay Stadium where SPU hosts Northwest Nazarene on Sept. 29 at 3 p.m.