• COMPLETE RELEASE (pdf)    |    • VIDEO: Coach Arby  Busey

THURSDAY, SEPEMBER 6
Seattle Pacific at Chico State
7:00 p.m. PDT, University Soccer Stadium, Chico, Calif.
• Webcast:  https://portal.stretchinternet.com/chico/ 
• LiveStats:  http://www.chicowildcats.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary
 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8
Seattle Pacific at San Francisco State
1:00 p.m. PDT, Cox Stadium, San Francisco, Calif.
• Webcast:  https://boxcast.tv/view/sf-state-womens-soccer-vs-seattle-pacific-739651
• LiveStats:  http://www.sfstategators.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/
 
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
Cal State San Bernardino at Seattle Pacific
1:00 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
• Webcast:  https://portal.stretchinternet.com/spu/
• LiveStats:  www.sidearmstats.com/spu/wsoc/
 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
Seattle Pacific at Biola
7:00 p.m. PDT, Al Barbour Field, La Mirada, Calif.
• Webcast:  https://portal.stretchinternet.com/biola/ 
• LiveStats:  http://livesports.biola.edu/wsoccer/xlive.htm

The undefeated Seattle Pacific women play three of their next four soccer games on the road to complete the non-conference portion of their 2018 schedule. The Falcons (2-0-0) travel to California this week for two games, beginning on Thursday, Sept. 6 against Chico State (0-0-2) at 7 p.m. They were victorious in the last encounter, beating the Wildcats 3-2 in the 2017 season opener. On Saturday, Sept. 8 at 1 p.m. SPU visits San Francisco State (1-1-0). SPU has a 3-1-1 series lead over the Gators, but they haven't met since 2009. The Falcons return home for an afternoon game on Tuesday, Sept. 11. Cal State Bernardino (0-2-0) invades Interbay Stadium at 1 p.m. The teams tied the last matchup 1-1 in Seattle, a rare blemish on the Falcons run to the 2008 national championship. The final non-league contest takes place in Southern California at Biola (1-1-0) on Saturday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. SPU outscored the Eagles 7-0 in two all-time victories, the last one a 5-0 decision in 2005. Great Northwest Athletic Conference play begins for the Falcons on Sept. 20 at Saint Martin's.
 
Get Your Tickets Online
Tickets for SPU soccer games can now be purchased in advance online at: http://siteline.vendini.com/site/spufalcons.com
 
Player of the Week
Julia DeVere, who registered a goal and assist while sparking SPU to a pair of shutout home victories, was named the GNAC Defensive Player of the Week Tuesday. The senior defender helped SPU limit Cal Poly Pomona to nine shots and none of them found the net in a 2-0 season-opening victory on Aug. 30 at Interbay Stadium. On Sept. 1, DeVere (Bellingham, WA/Squalicum HS) surged forward from her backline position to score the game-winning goal in the 26th minute. She then assisted on an insurance tally three minutes into the second half of a 2-0 shutout against Minnesota State Moorhead. The Falcons held their guests to five shots and only one of those was directly on target.
 
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).
 
2017 Review
The Falcons fashioned a 10-7-0 record in 2017, tying for third with an 8-4-0 GNAC mark. Seven wins came by one-goal margins, three of them overtime victories. SPU's season ended with a 2-0 semifinal loss to Western Washington in the GNAC Tournament, stopping SPU's national-leading 14-year NCAA Tournament streak. Sophia Chilczuk was named the GNAC Freshman of the Year while leading scorer Kasey Reeve (10 goals) and defender Kaytlin Willis were All-West Region honorees.
 
This Week's Opponents
Chico State (0-0-2) -- The Wildcats have yet to score or allow a goal in 220 minutes this season. They played to 0-0 home draws with Regis and Colorado Mines. Goalkeepers Brenna Meier and Vic Graham each earned a shutout. In her 18th season at Chico, and 24th at an NCAA school, Kim Sutton boasts 227 career coaching victories. SPU owns a 10-2-3 series lead, winning the last meeting 3-2 last season in Seattle.
 
San Francisco State (1-1-0) -- The Gators beat Regis 1-0 behind an Ana Williams goal after opening the season with a 3-0 loss to Colorado Mines. SPU won the most recent meeting 1-0 in 2009 to take a 3-1-1 advantage in the all-time series.
 
Cal State San Bernardino (0-2-0) -- The Coyotes lost a pair of home games to start the season. They were blanked 2-0 by Dixie State before falling 3-1 versus Concordia-Irvine. Kelly Kevershan accounted for the only CSUSB goal this season. The last meeting came in the 2008 season opener and resulted in a 1-1 draw in Seattle after which SPU proceeded to go 22-1-1 and win the NCAA Division II national championship. The Falcons boast a 3-0-1 lead in the all-time series.
 
Biola (1-1-0) -- The Eagles are in their final year transitioning to NCAA Division II status and will be post-season eligible in 2018-19. They are members of the PacWest Conference. Biola was a 3-2 overtime home victor over Cal State Dominguez Hills in the season opener, but then lost 1-0 at Cal State L.A. Annmarie Alvarez leads the Eagles with two goals. The Falcons won both previous matchups with Biola, posting a 5-0 victory in the most recent meeting in 2005 after winning 2-0 in 2003.
 
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 27-17-6 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.