SEATTLE – With a spot in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Tournament in possession, the Seattle Pacific University women's soccer team looks to secure the regular season conference title this weekend. It could be decided as early as Thursday, when the Falcons take on Western Washington in Bellingham, Wash. at 7 p.m. in a meeting that features the top two teams in the GNAC. Then on Saturday, the Falcons return home to celebrate eight seniors before a match against Simon Fraser at 5 p.m. at Interbay Soccer Stadium.
QUOTABLE
"Fun week ahead of us this week. We have some great games to play and the chance to honor some amazing women on Saturday. I know that our group is excited about our opportunities this week and that they will prepare really well."
"Saturday will be enjoyable as we get to honor some unbelievable women, who have been such great stewards of our program. They have been such good role models for all of us over the past four or five years. Off the field, they are great students and amazing women who have set the standard for all of us throughout their time in our program. On the field, they have been able to accomplish so much together, and have really made their mark on SPU Women's Soccer. The joy that we all feel in their presence will be a part of their legacy, they are a group that has such a genuine connection, and we all feed off of that every day. We are nowhere near ready to let them leave, and we will do everything we can to extend their time here with us this fall." - head coach Arby Busey.
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS
The Falcons and the Vikings are separated by one point in the GNAC standings. The two teams meet for the final time in the regular season on Thursday in Bellingham. With a win, the Falcons will be crowned the 2023 GNCA Regular Season Champions. The Vikings would have to win Thursday's match and a match against Montana State University Billings on Saturday. Several tie-breakers exist, depending on results from this weekend.
GNAC TOURNAMENT
The Falcons have already clinched a spot in the GNAC Tournament that happens Nov. 9-11 in Ellensburg, Wash. The top four teams in the final GNAC regular-season standings will advance to the single-elimination tournament. The winner of the GNAC Championships will receive the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Championships. The remainder of the NCAA Championships field will be announced in the NCAA selection show on Monday, Nov. 13 at 3:30 p.m. (PDT).
NCAA WEST REGION RANKINGS
The NCAA announced its West Region Rankings on Monday. The Falcons are slotted in third behind Cal State LA and Point Loma. The Vikings are right behind the Falcons in fourth place.
UNITED SOCCER COACHES NATIONAL TOP 25 POLL
The Falcons jumped four spots in this week's United Soccer Coaches Poll. The team is now 20th in the country. Other West Region schools inside the top 25 are Concordia Irvine (5) and Hawaii Hilo (13). Point Loma is receiving votes.
THE SENIORS
SPU will honor eight seniors before Saturday's match against Simon Fraser. The group includes Mackenzie Aiken, Marissa Bankey, Sophie Beadle, Jacqueline Blakeley, Lauren Forster, Chloe Gellhaus, Mia Mahaffey, and Rylee Pierce.
STANDOUT STATISTICS
The Falcons have been one of the best offensive teams in the conference this season. SPU leads the GNAC with 88 points, 33 goals, 1.94 goals per game, and 22 assists. Blakeley is a big reason why. She's tied for a conference-leading six goals and ranks second in points. Beadle still leads the conference in assists with seven.
ABOUT THE VIKINGS
The Vikings own a 10-3-4 record and are 8-1-3 in conference play. The Vikings carry a season-high eight-game unbeaten win into the final week of the regular season, going 7-0-1 during this stretch. They've shut out opponents over the last 376 consecutive minutes and enter Thursday's match with a streak of four consecutive shutouts.
Morgan Manalili is coming into her own down the stretch. She's scored five of her team-leading six goals over the past five games. Manalili has also accounted for the game-winning goal in each of the last four games during the current winning streak. In goal, Clair Henninger is tied for the GNAC lead and is tied for 21st nationally with eight shutouts this season.
ABOUT THE RED LEAFS
The Read Leafs are on the bubble for the final spot in the GNAC Tournament. They're 4-5-3 in conference play with 15 points. MSU Billings and Northwest Nazarene trail with 14 points and 13 points. The Red Leafs and Yellowjackets meet on Thursday before the Falcons host SFU on Saturday.
The Red Leafs have been solid, allowing .93 goals per game. They've scored 1.07 goals per game. Kate Cartier leads the team with five goals. She has two assists and a team-high 12 points. Kaiden Sherwood (3), Mikayla Tupper (2), and Sarah Caravatta (2) are the only other Red Leafs with multiple goals this season.
