SEATTLE – Interbay Soccer Stadium is the site for two Seattle Pacific University women's soccer matches this weekend as the team continues Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. The Falcons host Saint Martin's and Thursday at 4 p.m. before #24 Western Oregon visits on Saturday at 2 p.m.
QUOTABLE
"We return home this weekend, and it will be nice to be at Interbay. We have two of the top four teams in the Conference visiting this weekend. It will be a very challenging couple of games for us. We really finished the weekend well, playing great the last 30-35 minutes against CWU, and we'll try to pick up from there as we head into this week. Both opponents this week have been getting results consistently this season, so we'll need to be at the top of our game. Our group has been really good at preparing for games so far this season, and we'll get back to work this week in hopes of being ready for the opportunities we have together." – head coach Arby Busey.
GNAC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
The GNAC named Seattle Pacific University women's soccer student-athlete Marissa Bankey as the Conference's Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.
Bankey was crucial in the Falcons comeback victory over Central Washington last Saturday. She had the game-tying and game-winning goals with time winding down in the match. Bankey played 131 minutes last weekend, took four shots, and capped a solid weekend with two goals and four points.
In the 74th minute of Saturday's match, Bankey leveled the match at two. Mia Mahaffey sent a corner kick into the box that bounced out to Bankey outside the 18. She sent a laser into the top right corner for her second goal this season.
In the 87th minute, the Falcons had gained possession and began to set up their attack. Bankey launched it in from 30 yards out. The ball cleared the outstretched arms of the Wildcats' keeper and snuck in just under the top bar.
Bankey's award is the fourth time the Falcons have received recognition from the conference. Taylor Krueger and Mercedes Cullen swept the offensive and defensive awards on Sept. 18. SPU became the Team of the Week that same day.
UNITED SOCCER COACHES NATIONAL TOP 25 POLL
The Falcons are receiving votes in this week's United Soccer Coaches National Top 25 poll. It's the first appearance in the poll for SPU this season. #24 Western Oregon is the only other GNAC school in the poll. The Wolves have been as high as #13 in previous editions of the poll.
LEADING THE GNAC
The Falcons are currently leading the GNAC women's soccer standings. They are in sole possession of first place with a 3-0-1 conference record and 10 points to their name. Western Oregon ranks second with a 3-1-0 record and nine points.
STANDOUT STATISTICS
The Falcons have been the best offensive team in the conference throughout the 2023 season. They lead the league in goals, (21) assists, (14) and points (56). SPU's 56 points clear second-place Western Oregon by 23. Defensively, the Falcons have made 38 saves, the second most in the GNAC.
Jacqueline Blakeley has been a key cog in the Falcons offense. She's tied with Western Oregon's Chloe Smith for the most goals in the conference with five. She trails Smith for the top spot in points by one with 11.
Moira MacKay is tied for the most game-winning goals with two this season.
Sophie Beadle's four assists are tied for the most in the conference with Nicole Lewis of Northwest Nazarene.
Mercedes Cullen leads the league in save percentage by making 85.7 percent of her saves through five games played. She's also tied for the most saves in conference with Bailey Blancett of NNU with 24 in 2023.
ABOUT THE SAINTS
Saint Martin's was selected for a seventh-place finish in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll. Former SPU assistant coach Derek Faulkner is in his first year at the helm of the Saints. The Saints are 3-2-3 in 2023 and have gone 1-1-2 in GNAC play. They sit fourth in the standings.
The Saints played Western Washington and Simon Fraser at home last weekend, walking away with a tie with each team. That's how the Saints have played this season. They're scoring and allowing .88 goals per game. Seven Saints have scored one goal each and are tied for the team-high.
ABOUT THE #24 WOLVES
Western Oregon earned a fourth-place finish in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll. They're coming off a fifth-place finish in the GNAC standings with a 4-6-4 record (7-6-5 overall) last season. WOU has exceeded expectations in 2023, touting a 6-1-1 overall record, and is 3-1 in conference play.
Last weekend, the Wolves picked up a pair of 1-0 victories over Simon Fraser and Western Washington. They were brilliant defensively, allowing just four shots on goal over two matches. The effort earned the Wolves the GNAC Team of the Week honors.
That defense has been the catalyst to their early-season success. They're allowing just .63 goals per game while scoring 1.38 goals per game. Smith leads the team and GNAC in goals (5) and points (12). Sophia Pierce has been great in goal, making 18 saves while owning a .818 save percentage.
