THIS WEEK'S WOMEN'S SOCCER SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21
(#4) Seattle Pacific at (#12) Western Washington
7:00.m. PDT, Harrington Field / Bellingham, Wash.
       • Webcast:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOTsqhDijaY
       • LiveStats:  https://wwuvikings.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary
 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23
(#4) Seattle Pacific at Simon Fraser
2:00 p.m. PDT, Terry Fox Field / Burnaby, B.C.
       • Webcast:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYAopYOypN0
       • LiveStats:  https://athletics.sfu.ca/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary
 
The fourth-ranked Seattle Pacific women's soccer team takes its toughest test of the season to complete a four-game road trip. The second-place Falcons (9-1-1, 6-1-1 GNAC) travel to Bellingham on Thursday Oct. 21 for a clash with No. 12 Western Washington (10-1-2, 7-1-0), the current GNAC leader. Kick-off is 7:00 p.m. at Harrington Field. They each have an NCAA Division II title to their credit, SPU in 2008 and Western in 2016. SPU won the last two encounters, including a 1-0 overtime decision Oct. 9 in Seattle on a Claire Neder golden goal. On Saturday, Oct. 23 the Falcons venture to Burnaby, B.C. for a 2:00 p.m. matchup with Simon Fraser (3-7-1, 4-4-0). SPU won the last three meetings versus that Canadian side. The GNAC season and NCAA Division II playoffs that were cancelled last year will be contested this fall. SPU seeks a return to the NCAAs for the first time since 2018 after narrowly missing a berth in 2019 and no playoffs being contested last season.
 
Explosive Offense
SPU is outscoring opponents by a 31-3 margin, tallying multiple goals in all but three games. The Falcons top the GNAC in goals (31), goal average (2.82 per game), assists (28) and points per game (8.18). They boast four multi-goal games by three individuals, with braces from Lauren Forster (Sept. 23 & Oct. 14), AJ DePinto (Sept. 25) and Makena Rietz (Oct. 2). Forster sits atop the GNAC leaderboard with seven goals. Sophia Chilczuk (6) and Claire Neder (5) rank one-two among GNAC assist leaders.
 
CLAIRE NEDER'S OCT. 9 GOLDEN GOAL VS. WESTERN WASHINGTON

Falcons Fast Facts
• The Falcons No. 4 national ranking is their loftiest poll position since being No. 4 on October 19, 2009.
 
• Riley Travis ranks No. 3 among NCAA Division II goalkeepers with a 0.23 goals against average.
 
• SPU ranks No. 2 nationally in goals against average (0.26) while topping the GNAC in goals allowed (3) and shutouts (8). An opponent scoreless streak of 299-minutes, 15-seconds ended Saturday.
 
• The Falcons have conceded just 18 corner kicks (1.6 per game) while earning 77 themselves (7.0).
 
• SPU erupted for 7 goals at CWU (Oct. 14), its highest single-game scoring output since Oct. 17, 2009.
 
• Sophia Chilczuk ranks 5th in SPU career goals (33) and total points (89) and 7th in assists (23).
 
Player of the Week
Lauren Forster, who came off the bench to score three goals and lead SPU to a road win and tie, was honored as the GNAC women's soccer Offensive Player of the Week on Monday. She netted a goal in each half, in the 26th and 67th minutes, to fuel the Falcons 7-0 rout at Central Washington (Oct. 14). In a 1-1 draw at Montana State Billings (Oct. 16), Forster found the equalizer in the 68th minute. She was extremely efficient last week, collecting three goals on just six shots. Forster currently tops the GNAC with seven goals, two more than any other player. Her 16 total points also lead the conference. The sophomore forward picked up a point in each of the last five outings, compiling four goals and two assists during that stretch. She has a pair of two-goal games to her credit, banking a brace in Ellensburg last week and versus Montana State Billings on Sept. 23.
 
Positive Preseason Poll Projection
Seattle Pacific was picked first in the preseason GNAC coaches poll, and for good reason. Coach Arby Busey returns all 11 starters from last season's squad that outscored opponents 39-7. The Falcons forged an 8-0-1 record in the shortened 2020-21 campaign and were ranked No. 5 in the final national poll.
 
This Week's Opponents
 

#12 Western Washington (10-1-2, 7-1-0 GNAC) -- The 12th-ranked Vikings sit atop the GNAC standings. They are outscoring opponents by a 24-5 margin paced by the five goals of Tera Ziemer. Goalkeeper Natalie Dierickx has seven shoutouts and a 0.39 goals against average. Travis Connell, a four-year SPU men's soccer letterman (1991-95), is in his 18th year and owns WWU's all-time mark with 275 coaching wins. The Falcons won the last two meetings, including a 1-0 overtime result on Oct. 9 in Seattle that Claire Neder ended with a 95th-minute golden goal. WWU leads the all-time series 21-20-7, but had a 21-game undefeated streak (17-0-4) halted with a 4-1 loss on May 12, 2021 in Seattle behind two goals from Neder for SPU's first win over Western since Oct. 27, 2012. SPU hasn't won in its last 10 trips to Bellingham, last winning (1-0) on Oct. 27, 2012. The tie (4-4) came in the last visit on April 24, 2021.
 
Simon Fraser (3-7-1, 4-4-0 GNAC) -- Simon Fraser, from Burnaby, B.C., was formerly called the Clan but does not currently have a nickname while deciding on a new moniker. A loser in three of its last four outings, SFU picked up a GNAC win due to a Sept. 30 forfeit by Northwest Nazarene, which was unable to visit Canada due to a shortage of available players. Giuliana Zaurini tops Simon Fraser with three goals. Goalkeepers Kelsey Fisher and Nicole Anderson combined for a 1.33 goals against average. SPU won the last three encounters to claim a 15-1-2 advantage in the all-time series. The Falcons forged a 2-0 victory on Oct. 7 in Seattle behind goals from Chloe Gellhaus and Jacqueline Blakeley.
 
Coach Busey
Arby Busey is in his 16th year on the Seattle Pacific staff and his seventh as head coach. In the abbreviated 2020-21 season, he directed the Falcons to an 8-0-1 record and No. 5 final ranking. Busey has a 66-32-10 record at SPU, a mark 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 in 2018. 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 SPU women return home for a three-game stand that completes their regular-season Interbay Stadium schedule. They host Saint Martin's on Oct. 28 at 7:00 p.m., Western Oregon on Oct. 30 at 2:00 p.m. and Central Washington on Nov. 4 at 4:30 p.m.