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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12
Biola at Seattle Pacific
4:00.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
Sonoma State at Seattle Pacific -- FREE ADMISSION
1:00.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
 
• Buy Tickets:  www.spufalcons.com/tickets
• Webcast for both games:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChFriWtnm5Q9gvbVAtfYnhg
• LiveStats for both games:  http://www.sidearmstats.com/spu/wsoc/
 
The Seattle Pacific women (0-2-0) make their first home appearance of the 2019 soccer season this week with a pair on non-conference matchups. The home opener is Thursday, Sept. 12 against Biola (0-2-0). Kick-off is 4 p.m. at Interbay Stadium where the Falcons host Sonoma State (1-1-0) on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 1 p.m. Biola was a 1-0 home victor over SPU last season and the Falcons boast a current five-game winning streak in their series with Sonoma. The SPU women seek to get in the win column after opening the season with two frustrating losses, one in which they dominated possession and the shot count and the other that they led until the 84th minute.
 
Falcons Fast Fact
Seattle Pacific has never lost a home-opening contest with 16 wins and two ties in their inaugural Interbay Stadium outings. The draws came in 2008 and 2016.

Ticket Talk: There will be no admission charged for Saturday afternoon's home game versus Sonoma State at 1 p.m.. For all other games, you can purchase tickets in advance for SPU home events at: www.spufalcons.com/tickets  For day-of-game purchase, ticket windows open one hour prior to kickoff at Interbay Stadium (3027 17th Ave. W., Seattle 98119). All seats are general admission and priced at $7 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens. SPU students and staff are admitted free. Groups or teams of 10 or more may qualify for reduced ticket rates by calling (206) 281-2393 in advance.


 
Home Sweet Home
The Falcons compiled a 7-2-0 record at home last season. They out-scored opponents 22-5 at Interbay Stadium in 2018 while registering five clean sheets, compared to 5-4-2 on the road with three shutouts.
 
Throw-Ins
Six players made their SPU debut last week (Samea Aljundi, Marissa Bankey, AJ DePinto, Chloe Gellhaus, Toni Miranda, Ally Veenhuizen) ... Four Falcons drew their first start in an SPU uniform (Mariah Alexander, Chloe Gellhaus, Ava Giovanola, Sierra Smith) ... Makena Rietz was the only field player to play all 92 minutes on Saturday in the 93-degree heat at Dixie State while Asia Cayetano and Chloe Gellhaus were the only Falcons to compete for the full 90 on Thursday besides 'keeper Riley Travis.
 
Last Week
A pair of hard-luck outcomes resulted in two season-starting setbacks in St. George, Utah, the first time the Falcons lost their opening two games in the program's 19-year history. The Sept. 5 game versus Rogers State started 80 minutes late due to a lack of referees and was delayed again by lightning late in a scoreless first half. SPU had the game's only six shots to that point, but Rogers scored the lone goal two minutes after resumption. The Falcons finished with a 16-5 shot advantage. On Sept. 7 at Dixie State, Claire Neder scored in the ninth minute, capitalizing on a misplay by the hosts for SPU's first goal of the season. That one-goal lead stood until the Trailblazers equalized in the 84th minute and then got a golden goal exactly two minutes into overtime.

 

2019 Season Preview
Six starters return from the NCAA playoff team that outscored opponents 40-19 in 2018. That's a fine foundation for the Falcons to build upon, but there are some holes to fill as less than half (18 of 40) of last season's goals were netted by returning players. The Falcons lost their second- and third-leading scorers in Kasey Reeve (7 goals) and Julia DeVere (4), the GNAC Defender of the Year who distributed a team-high seven assists. Heading the list of SPU's offensive returnees is junior forward Sophia Chilczuk, who topped the team with eight goals in 2018 en route to second-team All-West Region accolades. She had five game-winning strikes. Senior midfielder Megan Moore was a third-team all-region recipient with three goals and six assists to her credit. Junior midfielder Claire Neder chipped in three goals and three assists. The senior duo of Megan Nielsen and Asia Cayetano returns after starting every game last season on the back line. The defense is supported by sophomore goalkeeper Riley Travis, who posted five of the team's eight shutouts while compiling an outstanding 1.08 goals against average. Seven talented freshmen and MSU Billings transfer Samea Aljundi will vie for playing time.
 
2018 Season Review
The SPU women returned to the NCAA playoffs in 2018 after a one-year absence. The Falcons fashioned a 12-6-2 overall record and tied for third in the GNAC standings with an 8-3-1 mark. They outscored opponents 40-19 led by the eight goals of Sophia Chilczuk. Departing seniors accounted for 22 goals with seven of them from Kasey Reeve and four from All-American defender Julia DeVere, who topped the team with seven assists. DeVere was voted the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year and was joined on the all-conference team by teammates Chilczuk, Reeve, Megan Moore, Riley Travis, Makayla Sonstelie and Kaytlin Willis. The Falcons defense surrendered less than one score per game (0.92 goals against average), backed by goalkeeper Travis, who collected a school-record 16 saves in her second collegiate start, Sept. 6 at Chico State.
 
This Week's Opponents
Biola (0-2-0) -- The Eagles, from La Mirada, Calif., are members of the PacWest Conference who recently moving to NCAA Division II from the NAIA ranks. Biola lost its opening two games against challenging CCAA opponents. Colie Martin snuck a corner kick in for the Eagles' lone goal of the season in a 2-1 home loss to Cal State L.A. Biola then lost 2-0 at UC San Diego. Goalkeepers Briana Ruelas and Christina Rodriguez combined for a 2.00 goals against average. SPU won the first two matchups in the series, posting a 5-0 home victory in 2005 after winning 2-0 at Biola in 2003. The Eagles won 1-0 last year in La Mirada behind a 10th minute goal from Sarah Jeffries.
 
Sonoma State (1-1-0) -- The Seawolves are coming off a 1-0 loss to Southern Oregon, on an 84th-minute penalty kick, despite a 32-4 shot advantage. They won their season opener 3-2 over GNAC Tournament champion Concordia-Portland. Alexis Espitia netted Sonoma's first two goals. The CCAA member Seawolves play at Western Washington on Thursday before visiting Seattle. SPU leads the all-time series 5-2, including wins in the last five meetings with Sonoma. After losing 2-1 (2001) and 1-0 (2002) at Sonoma in the first two encounters, the Falcons won 1-0 (2003) and 4-0 (2005) at home, 3-2 (2006) at Sonoma and 1-0 on Aug 30, 2007 in Seattle. The last meeting came in Bellingham during the first round of the NCAA Division II Tournament and the Falcons won 1-0.
 
Coach Busey
Arby Busey is in his 14th year on the Seattle Pacific staff and his fifth as head coach. In 2018, he directed the Falcons to a 12-6-2 record and a third-place tie in the GNAC standings (8-3-1) en route to an NCAA Tournament berth. He has a 37-25-8 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 and again last year. From his assistant post from 2006-14, Busey helped the Falcons to an impressive 95-30-12 record and playoff appearances each year. SPU won the 2008 NCAA Division II championship and reached the 2007 national semifinals. He is a 1993 graduate of Villanova and was the Idaho head coach from 2002-04 where he had an 8-40-7 record.
 
GNAC Tournament
Seattle Pacific's Interbay Stadium will host the 2019 GNAC Women's Soccer Tournament. Semifinal games are slated for 4 and 7 p.m. on Nov. 14 with the winners meeting in the championship game on Nov. 16 at 1 p.m. The champion receives the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Division II Tournament.
 
Next Week
The Seattle Pacific women visit San Diego, Calif. for a pair of games at Point Loma. They take on the host Sea Lions on Thursday, Sept. 19 at 4:30 p.m. before clashing with Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 11 a.m.