PORTLAND, Ore. – The Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced its weekly awards on Monday that saw the Seattle Pacific University women's soccer team sweep the honors, as Jacqueline Blakeley earned Offensive Player of the Week and Mercedes Cullen got the nod for Defensive Player of the Week.

The Falcons are coming off a huge week for the program. They captured their 10th GNAC title in program history with a 2-0 win over Western Washington last Thursday. The Falcons have been a consistent force in the GNAC throughout the 2023 season. They closed out the regular season leading the conference with 95 points, 36 goals, 1.89 goals per game, and 23 assists.

Blakeley scored the game-winner in the title-clinching match against the Vikings. The Falcons put an end to the Viking's four-game shutout streak in the 19th minute of the match. Blakeley stepped in between a pass and took the ball down the left side of the field. She cut the ball back to her right foot and fired away from 14 yards out. It landed in the back of the net and gave the Falcons an early lead.

"Jackie has been amazing all season long," head coach Arby Busey said. "She is an intelligent soccer player and puts herself in such good spots throughout games. This weekend was no exception to that, and she came up big time for us! She is having an awesome senior year so far, and we hope that continues." 

Mercedes Cullen was massive for the Falcons in last Thursday's match. She started and played the full 90 minutes for the Falcons in goal. She faced 12 shots from the Vikings and tied a season-high with seven saves. It was Cullen's fifth shutout of the season. Like the Falcons in conference play, Cullen is undefeated in goal and owns a 9-0-4 record in matches she's started.

"Mercedes has been so consistent for us this fall," Busey said. "She is a great leader for us in the back and has come up huge for us throughout the season. This weekend was no exception, she was amazing Thursday night, keeping us in the game with big play after big play." 

SPU finished the regular season in 20th in the United Soccer Coaches National Top 25 poll. They were third in the latest NCAA West Region Rankings. They went undefeated in conference play and head into this weekend's conference tournament as the top seed. 

The Falcons play Simon Fraser in the opening round of the GNCA Tournament this Thursday at 7 p.m. in Ellensburg, Wash.