• BOXSCORE (pdf)    |    • VIDEO: Sierra  Smith
    • PHOTO GALLERY
     
SEATTLE – Claire Neder converted a penalty kick in the 28th minute Thursday for Seattle Pacific, which remained undefeated in all-time home-opening women's soccer games with a 1-0 non-conference victory over Biola at Interbay Stadium.
 
The Falcons continued an impressive streak of never losing their first home game of the year in the program's 19-year history, improving to 17-0-2 all-time.
 
"That's great," SPU coach Arby Busey said of the success in inaugural home outings. "It's not something that we knew about, not something that we talk about. But Interbay Stadium is definitely familiar to us, feels like home and we had great support today."
 
The Seattle Pacific women (1-2-0) notched their first win of the season after starting with two setbacks last week in St. George, Utah. They lost 1-0 a neutral-site matchup versus Rogers State on Sept. 5 despite dominating the shot count, 16-5. On Sept. 7, the Falcons led for most of the way at Dixie State before allowing an 84th-minute equalizer and then a golden goal exactly two minutes into overtime.
 
 "The soccer was good today. I hope the kids feel good about getting duly rewarded for the performance they put in," said Busey. "There were some really good sequences, some great moments and it's nice to feel rewarded for the efforts that you put in.
 
"The score was in our favor, where last weekend we left a little bit disappointed, but did a lot of the same good things that we did today."
 


SPU controlled the run of play throughout Thursday's contest and ran up an 18-6 shot margin over the Eagles (0-3-0), who won last season's meeting 1-0 in La Mirada, California.
 
The hosts compiled a 7-0 shooting advantage early, but were unable to deposit one into the back of the Biola net from the run of play. The game's only goal came on Neder's well-placed penalty kick at 27:22.
 
Sierra Smith created the penalty kick opportunity, making a dribbling run into the left side of the box before being tripped by Eagles' defender Madyson Brown.
 
"That was fantastic awareness from Sierra Smith," Busey exclaimed. "We want to make sure we stay aware in spaces that maybe don't look like the ball is coming there. She stayed alert and found an opportunity. The ball got played to that centerback and she jumped on it, picked the ball off her foot and took off running.
 
"She did a really good job of, as she went to goal, sealing that defender off and giving her no opportunity to get to the ball unless she went through the body. So a really, really heads up play from Sierra."
 
Neder then stepped to the 12-yard spot and directed the free shot into the left side of the goal for the decisive tally.
 
The junior midfielder has account for both of SPU's goals this season, including a ninth-minute strike in Saturday's overtime setback.
 
Sophomore goalkeeper Riley Travis stopped four shots en route to her sixth career shutout for the Falcons.
 
The Eagles didn't try a shot until the 30th minute when Sarah Yang flicked the ball from the top of the 6-yard box. That attempt was easily collected by Travis.
 
Briana Ruelas started in goal for Biola and made one save before giving way at halftime to Christine Rodriguez. The Eagles' substitute goalkeeper was credited with five saves, including two spectacular stops of SPU shots.
 
In the 59th minute, SPU's Sophia Chilczuk lined a laser from the right side of box that forced Rodriguez to dive to her right to barely block the shot. The deflection trickled past the left post.
 
Two minutes later Megan Moore attempted a quick, one-touch shot off a pass from Chilczuk on the left flank. Rodriguez managed to contort her body to snag the ball right on the goal line.
 
Biola applied late pressure and had the game's final two shots. An 85th-minute blast by Madi Reeves sailed high. With four minutes remaining Annmarie Alvarez directed a 15-yard header toward the left side of the SPU goal, but Travis moved swiftly to deny the shot.
 
The final challenge came on an Eagles corner kick with 45 seconds left to play, but the SPU defense cleared the ball out of danger to preserve the win.
 
"That was a lot invested to get across the finish line today, they made life very difficult for us in the last 10 minutes," Busey described. "There are some things there that we can grow in and manage those situations a little bit better, but give credit to Biola for really putting us under a lot of pressure in those last minutes.
 
"For us it's about getting our bodies right and getting to know Sonoma a little bit prior to kicking off Saturday afternoon."
 
Falcons Fast Facts
• SPU now leads the series 3-1-0 and has a 2-0-0 all-time record at home versus the Eagles.
 
• With two scores in three games, Claire Neder has nearly equaled the three-goal total she posted as a sophomore last season. She did not score during her freshman campaign in 2017.
 
• The Falcons have opened with the same starting 11 in all three games this season.
 
• Eight different SPU players attempted at least one shot Thursday, led by the five from freshman Chloe Gellhaus.
 
Next Game
The Seattle Pacific women remain at home to host Sonoma State on Saturday. Kick-off is 1 p.m. at Interbay Stadium.
 
NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.
 
at Seattle Pacific 1, Biola 0
 
Scoring – 1, SPU, Claire Neder (pk), 27:22.
 
                       1   2  --  TOTAL
Seattle Pacific        1   0  --    0
Dixie State            0   0  --    0
 
Shots – BU 6, SPU 18.
Saves – BU 6 (Briana Ruelas1, Christina Rodriguez 5), SPU 4 (Riley Travis).
Corner Kicks – BU 2, SPU 0.
Fouls – BU 8, SPU 8.
Offsides – BU 1, SPU 1.
 
 
Records
Biola 0-3-0
Seattle Pacific 1-2-0
 
Next SPU Women's Soccer Game
Sonoma State at Seattle Pacific
Saturday, Sept. 14, 1:00 p.m. PDT
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.