SEATTLE – It's another crucial weekend for the Seattle Pacific University women's soccer team as they welcome two of the top four teams in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference to Interbay Stadium. It starts on Thursday with a match against No. 7 Western Washington followed by a Saturday clash with Simon Fraser. Kick-off for both matches is set for 7 p.m.
WHAT'S THE STORY THIS WEEK
The Falcons look forward to rematches with two of their toughest conference opponents this weekend at home.
It is a weekend that features three of the top four teams in the conference standings. WWU leads the league with 22 points, followed by NNU (20), SPU (18), and SFU (8). The Falcons need to take care of the Vikings to build momentum for the closing weeks of the season. They came close two weeks ago.
The Falcons are coming off of a relatively smooth week. They took down Central Washington 3-1 last Thursday before sinking MSU Billings on Saturday by the same score. Lauren Snedeker led the charge with two goals, Toni Miranda had a goal and assist on the weekend, and Dalton Mermis scored her first collegiate goal.
SPU has been rolling. They've won five of their last six matches, outscoring opponents 12-5 during that span. The stretch features a tight 1-0 win over Saturday's opponent the Red Leafs. The only hiccup during that stretch came against the Vikings less than 14 days ago.
The Falcons face rematches against two tough teams this weekend. They'll have to continue this recent stretch of dominance and rise to the challenges in front of them. It starts on Thursday at 7 p.m. against Western Washington.
SCOUTING THE WESTERN WASHINGTON VIKINGS (8-1-3, 7-0-1 GNAC)
SPU and WWU went at it in Bellingham, Wash. on Oct. 1. as the Vikings found a way to sneak one past the Falcons for a narrow 1-0 victory. Mercedes Cullen was solid in that match, making eight saves during the game. The Vikings were able to capitalize on a loose ball in front of the goal by turning it into the game-winner.
The Vikings have been a consistent presence in the United Soccer Coaches National Top 25, ranking seventh in the country entering Thursday's match. They've yet to lose a match in conference play and have won seven of their last eight matches.
The Vikings are strong in all aspects, averaging 1.75 goals per game while suffocating opponents at just .58 goals per game. They've only allowed seven goals in 2022. Morgan Manalili and Tera Ziemer lead the team with four goals each. They're two of eight Vikings that have scored multiple times this season.
SCOUTING THE SIMON FRASER RED LEAFS (3-5-4, 2-4-2 GNAC)
The Falcons and Red Leafs met in Burnaby, B.C. on Sept. 29. Chloe Gellhaus scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 20th minute while Cullen and the defense shut out Simon Fraser 1-0. The match was just that close, as the only separation between the two teams truly was the goal from Gellhaus.
SFU is averaging .92 goals per game while allowing 1.33 goals per game. Kiara Buono, Kaylese Callender, and Guiliana Zaurrini have scored two goals each, and are tied for a team-high. Sarah Loewen has seen the most time in goal, making 39 saves, and has a .830 save percentage.
