SEATTLE – Seattle Pacific University and Interbay Soccer Stadium is the site for the opening rounds of the NCAA West Regionals on Thursday and Saturday. The SPU women's soccer team advances through the first round with a bye and will meet the winner of Simon Fraser and CSU Los Angeles in a match on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 1 p.m. for a chance to advance in the NCAA Tournament.
QUOTABLE
"Our team is excited about the opportunity we have this weekend. We have worked very hard to create this opportunity, and are aware of how much more hard work needs to be done to capitalize on it. It will be fun to play at home one last time this year and be in front of, and around our friends and families. Success this weekend will be us being the best version of ourselves. We know what that looks like and feels like, as we have been very consistent throughout the season. Should be a fun weekend." – head coach Arby Busey
HOW TO ATTEND
Tickets for both matches are available in person only. Interbay Soccer Stadium will open an hour before kickoff. Adult tickets are $11.00, while non-SPU students and senior citizen tickets are $8.00. SPU students can get into the game for $7.00.
FOLLOW LIVE
Live stats and a live broadcast will be available for both matches through SPU channels. Links to live stats and streams are available above.
GNAC ALL-CONFERNCE TEAM
The GNAC announced its women's soccer postseason awards on Tuesday afternoon, where the Falcons were represented well, with 12 total awards highlighted by three specialty awards.
Head Coach Arby Busey was named GNAC Coach of the Year, Sophie Beadle was the GNAC Player of the Year, and Taylor Krueger earned GNAC Newcomer of the Year.
Beadle is accompanied by Jacqueline Blakeley, Lauren Snedeker, and Marissa Bankey as First Team All-GNAC members. Mercedes Cullen has been superb in goal for the Falcons and has earned Second Team All-GNAC honors. Krueger is joned by Lauren Forster, Chloe Gellhaus, and Kathryn Nyone as GNAC Honorable Mentions.
A REGULAR SEASON TO REMEMBER
The Falcons to a 12-2-5 overall record, including a spotless 9-0-5 in conference play. SPU captured its 10th GNAC women's soccer title with consistent quality throughout 2023. They closed out the regular season leading the conference with 95 points, 36 goals, 1.89 goals per game, and 23 assists.
Signature wins came on Sept. 16 when they beat then second-ranked Colorado School of Mines 2-1 on the road. Most recently, the team secured the conference title with a 2-0 shutout of Western Washington last Thursday.
The Falcons amassed six GNAC weekly awards, including Team of the Week honors on Sept. 23. SPU swept the weekly awards twice. 15 Falcons earned GNAC All-Academic Honors, led by Maya Parman's 4.0 GPA.
UNITED SOCCER COACHES NATIONAL TOP 25 POLL
The United Soccer Coaches announced its national top 25 poll last Tuesday. The Falcons were ranked 16th in the nation.
ABOUT SIMON FRASER
The Red Leafs are red hot entering the NCAA Tournament. They played the Falcons twice in five days. Both teams tied 1-1 before stunning the Falcons 4-2 in the semifinals of the GNAC Tournament. The Red Leafs went on to win the GNAC Tournament and secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
The Red Leafs have allowed .94 goals per game. They've scored 1.28 goals per game. Kate Cartier leads the team with six goals, two assists, and 14 points. Mikayla Tupper has scored five goals this season. Sarah Lowen has been solid in goal with 84 saves and seven shutouts in 18 games played.
The Red Leafs had seven players earn GNAC Recognition. Tupper was a Co-Newcomer of the Year with SPU's Krueger. Isabella Muzzolini represents the Red Leafs as a First Teamer. Katie Richardson, Emily Smith, and Lowen earned Second Team honors, while Cartier and Alyssa Clark joined Tupper as Honorable Mentions.
ABOUT CSU LOS ANGELES
The Golden Eagles enter the weekend as the #3 seed in the west region. They went 8-1-8 in the regular season. They picked up a 1-0 win over Chico State in the first round of their conference tournament before falling to San Marcos 1-0 in the semifinals.
The Golden Eagles are suffocating defensively and have allowed just 0.47 goals per game to opponents. They've scored 1.11 goals per game. Liliana Gonzales and Shelby Melin lead the team with four goals each. Jasmin Ortiz, Tjjaiz Hernandez, and Erin Schrock checked in with three goals each on the season.
Three Golden Eagles earned first-team honors, including junior Taesja Paopao, who was named the CCAA Goalkeeper of the Year. She was joined on the first team by teammates Jaclyn Orozco and Melin. Ortiz and Hernandez earned second-team honors, while Schrock and Destiny Moedano earned honorable mention.
