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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
Seattle Pacific vs. Rogers State
4:00 p.m. PDT (5 p.m. MDT), Trailblazer Stadium, St. George, Utah
• LiveStats:  https://dixiestateathletics.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary
 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
Seattle Pacific at Dixie State
11:30 a.m. PDT (12:30 p.m. MDT), Trailblazer Stadium, St. George, Utah
• Webcast:  https://portal.stretchinternet.com/dixiestate/
• LiveStats:  https://dixiestateathletics.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary
 
Sights are set on an appearance in the GNAC Tournament at their own stadium and another NCAA playoff berth when the Seattle Pacific women begin the 2019 soccer season on the road this week. The Falcons fly to St. George, Utah for a pair of games, beginning with a neutral-site encounter against Rogers State on Thursday, Sept. 5 at 4 p.m. Pacific Time (5 p.m. MDT). That is SPU's first ever meeting with the Hillcats, who hail from Claremore, Oklahoma. On Saturday, Sept. 7 Dixie State entertains the Falcons for an 11:30 a.m. PDT (12:30 p.m. MDT) contest. The Falcons won all four previous meetings versus Dixie State, but none of those victories were recorded in St. George.
 
Season Openers
Seattle Pacific begins its 19th year of women's soccer competition with a 14-2-2 record in season-opening games. The Falcons were 2-0 home victors over Cal Poly Pomona in the 2018 opener behind goals from Kasey Reeve and Sophia Chilczuk. SPU emerged victorious in its last five season-opening contests, last losing in 2013.
 
Get Your Tickets: The home opener is next week and you can purchase tickets in advance for SPU home game 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.
 

 
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 Ceyetano 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.

Playoff Pursuit:
Seattle Pacific seeks to string together another run of NCAA Division II Tournament appearances after having its national-leading 14-year run halted in 2017.SPU returned to the NCAAs in 2018. The Falcons qualified for the playoffs every season from 2003-2016. They won the 2008 national championship and advanced to the Final Four on three occasions (2005, 2007, 2008).

 

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
Rogers State (10-6-2 in 2018) -- The Hillcats, from Claremore, Oklahoma, join the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association after six seasons in the Heartland Conference. Second-year coach Yolanda Thomas brings back all-region midfielder Bria Salazar, as well as her two leading scorers in Hannah Mushisky and Kori Watters. Mushisky finished with eight goals while Watters tallied five. SPU and Rogers State have never before met in women's soccer.
 
Dixie State (13-6-0 in 2018) -- This is the final season in NCAA Division II for the Trailblazers, who are moving to the Division I ranks next year. Coach Steve Golas begins his first season at Dixie's helm after serving as an assistant on the Wisconsin-Milwaukee staff the last four years. Nine starters return from a stingy Trailblazers team that compiled a school-record 11 clean sheets behind returning goalkeeper Nicole Rahman, and outscored foes 35-10. Forward Whitley Johns was the 2018 RMAC Freshman of the Year after scoring 12 goals, including seven game-winners. SPU won all four previous meetings, defeating Dixie 3-0 in Seattle in 2002, 2-1 in a 2006 neutral site contest in Phoenix, 3-0 in Seattle in 2013 and 1-0 in a 2016 matchup in Portland, Oregon.
 
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 37-23-8 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 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.
 
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 return to Seattle next week for their 2019 home opener. They host Biola on Sept. 12 for a 4 p.m. clash at Interbay Stadium. On Sept. 14 the Falcons entertain Sonoma State at 1 p.m.