SEATTLE – Chloe Gellhaus scored in the first half and Makena Rietz netted what proved to be the decisive goal just after halftime Saturday to power fourth-ranked Seattle Pacific past Sonoma State, 2-1, in the second round of the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Tournament.
 
The victory at Interbay Stadium sends top-seeded SPU (18-1-1) into the West Region championship game at the home of the highest remaining seed from the South Central Region. That game will be played on Dec. 2 either in Texas or Colorado and the Falcons face a familiar foe.
 
The SPU women will clash with second-seeded Western Washington, a 1-0 second-round victor over Point Loma. They won all three previous meetings with Western this season by a combined score of 8-0. Most recently, the Falcons forged a 4-0 victory on Nov. 13 at WWU in the GNAC Tournament championship game.
 
The Falcons picked up their first NCAA Tournament win since the first round of the 2015 playoffs. Since then, they were winless in the last three playoff contests. That streak stopped Saturday.
 
"At this point our minds are on just celebrating what we did today and living in this moment," said SPU coach Arby Busey. "It's been a long time for us since we've won an NCAA Tournament game and we're going to enjoy it."
 
Seattle Pacific stayed hot, stretching its unbeaten streak to 14 games with nine straight wins and a 13-0-1 record during that span. The Falcons reached the 18-win mark, their highest total in a season since their 2008 national championship team finished with a 22-1-2 record. That title squad also met WWU for a regional final in the Midwest.
 
The fourth-seeded Seawolves (15-6-0) were champions of the California Collegiate Athletic Association making their sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance while SPU was participating in the playoffs for the first time since 2018. Sonoma knocked off Hawaii-Hilo 5-1 in Thursday's first round while the Falcons had a bye.
 
"Anytime you win in the NCAA, it's a great win. We'll take it," Busey said. "Sonoma State, we knew, was going to be a very challenging opponent. They are the conference winners and that CCAA is a tough conference. To be regular-season champs means you've got to be good a lot of the time.
 
"They were certainly good today and put up a huge fight. Great for us to have to see a game out that was tight and challenging."
 
Gellhaus got a goal in the 24th minute to provide a 1-0 lead the Falcons took into halftime.

CHLOE GELLHAUS GOAL

Just under five minutes after halftime, Rietz doubled that margin with her team-high 13th goal and her seventh game-winning score.
 
Sonoma made it interesting in the 74th minute on a brilliant goal by midfielder Lexi Zandonella. She trimmed the deficit to 2-1 with a 24-yard strike to the upper-right corner.
 
SPU limited the Seawolves to just two more shots over the final 16 minutes. The visitors' last attempt came with four minutes remaining and was struck by Malia Falk. Goalkeeper Riley Travis made the save, her sixth of the game, to deny that final opportunity.
 
Sonoma goalkeeper Phoebe Barnes was credited with three saves and her teammates helped out. Two defenders cleared shots off the line and both time it was Falcons defender Madison Ibale who was robbed.
 
FIRST HALF SUMMARY
Perhaps feeling more confident and less nervous having played 90 minutes of playoff soccer 48 hours earlier, the Seawolves had the ball in the SPU end for the opening seven minutes. That possession didn't amount to much as they didn't get a shot off until 6:20 had elapsed. And it wasn't dangerous as Falk's 16-yard boot sailed way wide to the left.
 
The Falcons initial attempt came in the 14th minute off the foot of Gellhaus. Her 27-yard smash carried just high and to the right. Sophia Chilczuk had a 21st-minute attempt go wide right and the team's next shot found the back of the net.
 
Claire Neder received a throw-in on the left flank and beat a defender on the dribble to the end line. Her cross into the goal mouth found Gellhaus, who hammered a header low into the Sonoma goal at 23:12. That was the seventh goal of the season for the junior midfielder.
 
"Claire was on the left side dicing people up like she always does.," Gellhaus described. "She played an amazing cross. I was just unmarked and it came pretty much right to my head, so I just had to direct it towards goal and that's what I did.
 
"The cross was amazing, so it was a lot easier than usual. I just had to re-direct it."
 
That was the lone first-half shot put on frame for the Falcons who owned a 1-0 halftime lead despite being level in the shot count at 4-4.
 
Two Seawolves attempts required attention from the SPU goalkeeper. Olivia Aschbrenner unleashed a shot in the 26th minute and did the same in the 30th. Both were stopped by Travis.

MAKENA RIETZ GOAL

SECOND HALF SUMMARY
Seattle Pacific controlled the run of play for most of the second half, doubling the Seawolves five shots after intermission for a 14-9 advantage for the game. The hosts had 60 percent of the possession for the game.
 
Rietz, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year, got SPU's second goal. Sophie Beadle dribbled into the right side of the box and neared the endline as she delivered a pass across the top of the 6-yard box. The ball slipped past a wave of players and the goalkeeper before Rietz raced in to re-direct it high into the goal from four yards out at 49:55.
 
"We had Sophie Beadle out there who was getting to the endline and putting herself in some spots to be able to serve the ball," Busey said. "Makena has been phenomenal kind of finding that back post, or when it's bobbling around inside the box. She was Johnny-on-the-spot again today in terms of being there to tuck that thing away."
 
That goal moved Rietz back into a tie for league's scoring lead with Jenna Killman, who notched the lone tally in Western Washington second-round outing.
 
In pursuit of a third goal, Ibale's misfortune ensued. Her 65th-minute header was blocked off the center of the goalmouth by Sonoma defender Krissy Keller. Almost exactly three minutes later another Ibale header was cleared off the line, this time by Amanda Ramirez at the right post.
 
Zandonella got one back for Sonoma at 73:59. She picked off a poor pass and dribbled toward the box before unleashing a blast into the top-right of the goal, just past the outstretched arm of Travis.
 
That is as close as the Seawolves would get before time ran out on their season.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
As for the Falcons, they will turn their attention to Western Washington, but not before appreciating Saturday's victory, according to Busey.
 
"We'll get game-planning for them on Monday, but we'll enjoy what we did today for now.
 
"With Western and us, the amazing thing is the programs have the ability to bring out the best in each other. We will be excited and they'll be excited. It will be another barn-burner as it always is. Two good teams will have the opportunity to play for the right to advance. in the NCAA Tournament."

ARBY BUSEY & CHLOE GELLHAUS POST-GAME INTERVIEWS
 
COLLEGE WOMEN'S SOCCER
NCAA Division II Tournament -- Second Round
Saturday, November 20, 2021
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.
 
at (#4) Seattle Pacific 2, Sonoma State 1
 
Scoring – 1, SPU, Chloe Gellhaus (Claire Neder), 23:12; 2, SPU, Makena Rietz (Sophie Beadle), 49:55; 3, SPU, Lexi Zandonella, 73:59.
 
                      1   2   TOTAL
Sonoma State          0   1  -  1
Seattle Pacific       1   1  -  2
 
Shots – SSU 9, SPU 14
Shots on Goal – SSU 7, SPU 7.
Saves – SSU 5 (Phoebe Barnes 3, Team 2), SPU 6 (Riley Travis).
Corner Kicks – SSU 3, SPU 8.
Fouls – SSU 11, SPU 7.
Offsides – SSU 1, SPU 3.
 
Records
Sonoma State 15-6-0
Seattle Pacific 18-1-1
 
Next SPU Women's Soccer Game
NCAA Division II Tournament
West Region Championship Game
(#13) Western Washington vs. (#4) Seattle Pacific
Thursday, December 2, Time & Venue TBA