SATURDAY, MARCH 27
Puget Sound at Seattle Pacific
1:30.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash. (spectators not allowed)
 
THURSDAY, APRIL 1
Saint Martin's at Seattle Pacific
6:00.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash. (spectators not allowed)
 
• Webcast for both games:  https://www.youtube.com/user/SPUsports
• LiveStats for both games:  http://www.sidearmstats.com/spu/wsoc/
 
A 496-day break from competition will end this weekend when the Seattle Pacific women's soccer team kicks off its 2020-21 season. The Falcons host Puget Sound on Saturday, March 27 for a 1:30 p.m. game at Interbay Stadium. That will be the first ever regular-season matchup between NCAA Division II SPU and the NAIA Loggers, who have been frequent exhibition combatants. The Falcons then host Saint Martin's on Thursday, April 1 at 6 p.m. SPU has never lost in 24 all-time meetings with the Saints. The last time Seattle Pacific played a counting game was on Nov. 16, 2019 in a 2-1 loss to Western Washington in the GNAC Tournament championship game at Interbay Stadium. Spectators are not allowed to attend SPU home games this season. 
 
Quoting Coach Arby  Busey
"We're super excited. It's been a long time coming. We've had a few opportunities up to this point to get out there and run around together. But this one will be special because it counts. After all of the work and sacrifice that we've had to make over the last 12 months, along with the rest of the world, this allows us to get out there and do something we love together."
 
Season Openers
Seattle Pacific begins its 20th year of women's soccer competition with a 14-3-2 record in season-opening games. The Falcons had a five-game winning streak in openers halted with a 1-0 setback versus Rogers on Sept. 5, 2019 in St. George, Utah.
 
Throw-Ins
Seattle Pacific has never lost a home-opening contest with 17 wins and two ties in their inaugural Interbay Stadium outings. The draws came in 2008 and 2016. The Falcons were 1-0 victors over Biola in their last home opener, on Sept. 12, 2019 ... While games will likely be added to the 2021 schedule (and others might be postponed or cancelled), SPU will play its fewest games ever. Just three times have the Falcons played fewer than 20 women's soccer games, including their first two seasons (2001 & 2002) with 19 games. SPU's shortest season was a 17-gamer in 2017.
 
Abbreviated Schedule
The Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced Jan. 8 that there would not be a league season so the Falcons fended for themselves in finding opponents. SPU will play fewer games than in any of its previous 19 seasons, with the least being 17 games in 2017 (10-7-0). There are currently 10 counting games scheduled, seven of them at home and three on the road. There may be additional games added with a possibility of games being postponed or cancelled if COVID issues arise.
 
Home Sweet Home
The Falcons compiled a 7-3-0 record at home last season. They out-scored opponents 22-8 at Interbay Stadium in 2019 while registering four clean sheets, compared to 5-3-0 on the road and 0-2-0 in neutral-site clashes.

2020-21 Season Preview 
 

Eight starters return from the 2019 SPU team that outscored opponents 36-20 and advanced to the GNAC Tournament title game. The Falcons feature the reigning GNAC Freshman of the Year in midfielder Chloe Gellhaus, who compiled eight goals in her inaugural collegiate campaign. She forms a potent attacking trio with first-team all-league forward Sophia Chilczuk (8 goals) and honorable mention pick Claire Neder (6). Gellhaus and Neder are half of a midfield quartet that returns intact, joining with Makena Rietz and Taylor Menkens. Backed by goalkeeper Riley Travis, with her five shutouts and 1.04 goals against average, the defense yielded just one goal per game. Mariah Alexander and Ava Giovanola return from that stingy backline. Seven talented freshmen and transfers Emmy Moore (Idaho) and Callie Rheaume (Hawaii Pacific) will compete for playing time.
 
This Week's Opponents
Saint Martin's (0-2-0) -- The Saints lost their first two games, both by matching 3-1 scores at Northwest Nazarene on March 11 and 13. Justine Pauly and Kiersten Madsen accounted for the SMU goals. Goalkeeper Ali Campigotto played all 180 minutes between the posts, accumulating 17 saves. The Falcons won all 24 previous meetings versus Saint Martin's and swept last season's two meetings, 2-0 on Sept. 28, 2019 in Lacey and 3-1 on Oct. 17 in Seattle. Gellhaus scored once in the first encounter and twice in the second for the Falcons.
 
Puget Sound (7-3-0) -- The Loggers have outscored opponents 17-6 led by the four goals and two assists of Maiya Pacleb. Ava Cholakian has three goals and three assists. Goalkeeper Chaylea Tome registered six shutouts and a 0.62 goals against average. Saturday marks the first ever regular-season meeting between UPS and SPU.

 

Coach Busey
Arby Busey is in his 15th year on the Seattle Pacific staff and his sixth as head coach. In 2019 he directed the Falcons to a 12-8-0 record and an appearance in the GNAC Tournament championship game. SPU placed second in the GNAC regular-season standings with a 9-3-0 league ledger. Busey has a 49-31-8 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.
 
2019 Season Review
Seattle Pacific compiled a 12-8-0 record and a second-place finish in the final 2019 GNAC standings with a 9-3-0 league ledger. The defense notched seven shutouts and a 0.98 goals against average, including a mid-season stretch of 321 consecutive minutes without surrendering a score. The Falcons advanced to the GNAC Tournament championship game before falling, 2-1, to eventual West Region champion Western Washington. Chloe Gellhaus was honored as the GNAC Freshman of the Year and a first-team All-West Region honoree. Joining her on the GNAC first team were teammates Sophia Chilczuk and Asia Cayetano. Claire Neder, Makena Rietz and Riley Travis were honorable mention selections.