PORTLAND, Ore. – The Seattle Pacific University women's soccer team was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference's Team of the Week after advancing to the third round of the NCAA Tournament with a 1-0 victory over Cal State LA at Interbay Soccer Stadium last Saturday.

"We are excited to continue our journey this fall," head coach Arby Busey said. "Our team is looking forward to the opportunity to prepare together for the next week or so, and spend more time with each other! It's really fun to still be playing this time of year."

After a quiet first half that featured just four shots from the Falcons, SPU turned up the pressure. They out-shot the Golden Eagles 8-5 in the second half. Continued created chances led to the moment of the match for the Falcons.

The Falcons broke through in the 56th minute. Taylor Krueger worked down the right side of the field before serving the ball into the box. Lauren Forster got her left foot to it by the near post. She redirected the ball from three yards out and put it into the back of the net as several Golden Eagles crashed into Forster.

In a battle between the best offensive team in the GNAC and one of the top defensive teams in Division II, Forster's goal was the third of her season and marked just the 10th time this year that the Golden Eagles have conceded a goal.

Cullen was her sensational self in goal for the Falcons. She made five saves and faced eight total shots in 90 minutes. The shutout was Cullen's sixth of the season for the Falcons. 

Defenders Kathryn Nyone, Mackenzie Aiken, and Kailalani Ahuna played the full 90 minutes for the Falcons. That back line proved vital down the stretch as the usually defensively oriented Cal State LA began to throw more players into the attack. Lauren Snedeker played every minute of the match, finishing with two shots while patrolling the congested midfield.

With the victory, the Falcons advance to the third round of the NCAA Women's Soccer Championships where it will face No. 1 seed Point Loma in Mesa, Colo. The win also marked the furthest that the Falcons have advanced in the postseason since winning the NCAA West Region title in 2021.