PORTLAND, Ore. – After recording two clean sheets in her first collegiate starts for the Seattle Pacific University women's soccer team, Mercedes Cullens has been named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week. 

The Falcons hosted two opponents from the California Collegiate Athletics Association last weekend in San Francisco State and Chico State. Cullen made her first start with the Falcons last Thursday against the Gators. She faced seven shots while making two saves in a 1-0 shutout win. Last Saturday, the Wildcats sent 13 shots toward Cullen. She made six saves as the team earned another 1-0 victory.

"Mercedes has stepped in and played well beyond her years," head coach Arby Busey said. "She's shown great maturity and leadership qualities on the field. She has been helped by the attitude and determination of the players playing in front of her, and they have combined to be very difficult to beat."

Game-winning goals from last weekend's matches came from Sophie Beadle and Kayla Wallace. In the 10th minute of Thursday's match, Lauren Forster had the ball on the far-left side of the field as the Falcons were on the attack. Forster caught the SF State defender in between with a pass forward to Chloe Gellhaus just outside the box. Gellhaus found herself with Beadle in a two-on-one and dumped the ball off to her teammate for the goal that would prove to be the game-winner.

The Falcons found the scoreboard in the 75th minute against Chico State. Kathryn Nyone received a throw-in before lining up a perfect cross from left to right that landed just outside the six-yard box. Wallace used the side of her right foot to get the ball past the keeper for the goal. The goal was the first in her collegiate career. 

The Falcons return to Interbay Stadium to host Colorado School of Mines on Friday at 7 p.m.