SEATTLE – If you peruse Thursday's boxscore and it looks just like the last game, it's not an April Fools' prank. The Falcons won in familiar fashion.
Senior forward
Sophia Chilczuk netted two goals for the second straight outing to spark Seattle Pacific to another 4-0 women's soccer victory at Interbay Stadium, this time over Great Northwest Athletic Conference rival Saint Martin's.
The final score mirrors the season-opening four-goal victory the Falcons (2-0) posted against Puget Sound on Saturday (Mar. 27).
It didn't come easy in the first half as SPU managed just one shot during the opening 13 minutes. Then a flurry of shots came, three in succession, but the Falcons didn't find joy as one hit the crossbar, two were barely wide and one was snagged by SMU goalkeeper Ali Campigotto.
The halftime score was only 1-0, but three second-half strikes widened the gap.
"We're really happy about the performance tonight," said SPU coach
Arby Busey. "Our girls kept working and eventually the solutions came to us and we were able to knock some goals into the back of the net in the second half."
SOPHIA CHILCZUK INTERVIEW
Prolific Scorer
Honored three days ago as the GNAC Player of the Week for Saturday's two-goal performance, Chilczuk tallied opening score in the 24th minute Thursday. She provided a 1-0 lead SPU would carry into halftime. Her 59th-minute strike put the Falcons ahead 3-0 and gave her back-to-back braces.
Chilczuk also delivered a goal in each half of the previous contest and has now produced seven multi-goal games during her SPU career.
"She's taken up some really good positions in the box. Sophia has added to her game in terms of her tactical awareness and where to set up to create goal-scoring chances for herself," Busey described. "She has been great at finishing in the last two games. She was able to navigate some tight spaces and find windows to beat a really good goalkeeper tonight who was one her game."
Chilczuk has been efficient, collecting her four goals this season on just 11 shots. Her career goal total increased to 24.
SOPHIA CHILCZUK 1ST GOAL
Fantastic Frosh
Freshmen accounted for the Falcons' other two scores, each of them getting their inaugural collegiate goal.
Lauren Forster found the back of the net in the 52nd minute and
Mia Mahaffey capped the scoring in the 80th.
"They have been really good for us in practice and it's great to see that translate into games," said Busey. "Having freshmen come in and contribute tonight talks to the depth that we have to the team.
Forster distributed an assist in her first collegiate outing and now has a goal added that ledger. Coach Busey is not surprised by her production.
"She is slippery, a hard person to get a handle on for defenders. Lauren appears as though you've got her under control and all-of-a-sudden she's slipped past you. She's a very good finisher. She doesn't shoot it the hardest on the team, she doesn't smash it all over, but she just looks at the goal and puts it in a spot where the goalkeeper can't get it."
Junior goalkeeper
Riley Travis stopped two shots for the Falcons en route to her second clean sheet in a row. Campigotto made five saves for the Saints (1-4-0), who were outshot by a 24-10 margin.
LAUREN FORSTER GOAL
Scoring Summary
A give-and-go set up the opening goal by the hosts. Chilczuk fed a pass back to
Makena Rietz 35 yards away from the goal on the left side. Rietz returned the ball, sliding a through pass that freed her teammate in the box. Chilczuk found the goal from the top-left corner of the 6-yard box at 23:13.
Shortly after halftime, Forster doubled the lead.
Ally Veenhuizen initiated the action from the left side of the defense, serving a high pass toward midfield that
Claire Neder flicked forward with her head. Forster reached the ball 40 yards from the goal and was off to the races. She dribbled toward the goal with a defender in pursuit and slotted a low, 14-yard shot just past the diving goalkeeper and into the right side of the goal at 51:32.
Mahaffey played a part in the final two goals. She dribbled to the left corner flag and beat a defender before sliding a pass into the box. With her back to the goal, Chilczuk spun and averted a defender before smacking a six-yard shot between the goalkeeper and left post at 59:41.
The scoring was completed at 79:41. After a ball caromed off the Saints goalkeeper racing outside the box, Mahaffey found herself with an open goal, but a defender on her hip. The Falcons freshman took a quick dribble before calmly lofting the ball into the goal from just outside the top-left corner of the 18-yard box.
Busey said that finding the open goal from distance while under pressure it much more difficult than it appears.
"You know the goalkeeper is out, so now you are rushing trying to get your feet set to put the ball into a vacated net. But Mia was under pressure with a defender there to cause more difficulty in being able to finish.
"She showed a great deal of maturity and composure in terms of taking that opportunity and being able to finish it. That's a great thing to see this early in her career, that she's already got in her toolbox."
MIA MAHAFFEY GOAL
The SPU women return to action on April 10 for a home game against Pacific Lutheran. Kick-off is 1:30 p.m. at Interbay Stadium. Fans are not allowed to attend Falcons' home games this season.
NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER
Thursday, April 1, 2021
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.
at Seattle Pacific 4, Saint Martin's 0
Scoring – 1, SPU,
Sophia Chilczuk (
Makena Rietz), 23:12; 2, SPU,
Lauren Forster (
Claire Neder,
Ally Veenhuizen), 51:32 3, SPU, Chilczuk (
Mia Mahaffey), 59:41; 4, SPU, Mahaffey (unassisted), 79:41.
1 2 -- TOTAL
Saint Martin's 0 0 -- 0
Seattle Pacific 1 3 -- 4
Shots – SMU 10, SPU 24.
Shots on Goal – SMU 2, SPU 9.
Saves – SMU 5 (Ali Campigotto), SPU 2 (
Riley Travis).
Corner Kicks – SMU 3, SPU 6.
Fouls – SMU 4, SPU 5.
Offsides – SMU 1, SPU 7.
Records
Saint Martin's 1-4-0
Seattle Pacific 2-0-0
Next SPU Men's Soccer Game
Pacific Lutheran at Seattle Pacific
Saturday, April 10, 1:30 p.m. PDT
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.
