SEATTLE – The Seattle Pacific University women's soccer team plays two daytime road matches this week. The first happens at 2 p.m. on Thursday against Saint Martin's followed by a 10 a.m. kickoff against Western Oregon on Saturday.
QUOTABLE
"Back on the road this week, a place where we have been good so far this season," head coach
Arby Busey said. "We'll hope to keep that up. It is always challenging to travel in conference and play teams that at this point in the season are very familiar with each other. Both games are early starts, similar to our opening weekend in California, so we have some experience managing things. We will look to build off a very successful weekend this past weekend and continue to grow and improve together."
GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
The Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced its women's soccer weekly awards on Monday afternoon with Seattle Pacific's
Taylor Krueger named the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week.
Krueger was instrumental in the Falcon's 2-1 win over Northwest Nazarene last Thursday and Saturday's 2-0 defeat of Central Washington. She scored a goal against the Nighthawks and dished two assists against the Wildcats. Krueger has been superb offensively and is tied for second in the GNAC in goals scored with four. She also leads the conference in assists with four this season. That combines for 12 points on the season and is the most in the conference.
SPU ATHLETICS FALCON OF THE WEEK
Nora Patterson was named one of two SPU Athletics Falcons of the Week on Tuesday morning. Patterson scored her first career goal in the Falcons 2-0 shutout victory over Central Washington last Saturday. In the 75th minute against the Wildcats,
Taylor Krueger snuck a pass through defenders to Patterson. Patterson finished from 10 yards out from the left side. Her first career goal proved to be a game-winner for the Falcons.
HER FIRST OF 2024
Andie Buckley scored her first goal of 2024 in the Falcons 2-0 victory over the Wildcats. Krueger created another chance for SPU in the 77th minute for Buckley. Buckley ripped a screamer from 14 yards out that gave the Falcons a 2-0 lead. Buckley's career total is four goals with the Falcons.
AROUND THE GNAC
The Falcons rank second in the conference in goals scored with 18 in 2024. They trail Simon Fraser by one.
Kayla Wallace leads the GNAC in goals scored with five this season. She's also tied for second in the conference with 10 points.
Moira MacKay is tied for fifth with three goals.
ABOUT SAINT MARTIN'S
Saint Martin's picked up 15 points and was slated to finish eighth in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll. Derek Faulkner begins his second season heading the Saints, who went 2-9-7 overall and 1-7-6 in GNAC play (9 points) to place eighth last season. SMU is on the hunt for its first-ever GNAC Championships berth.
Inara Lopes De Andrade and Alia Khoyi are each back on the SMU roster after getting on the score sheet during the 2023 season. Rose Ivanis is back after starting all 18 matches and leading the team with 1,574 minutes played last fall. In goal, Flavia Burrell is the returner with experience after earning eight starts, making 38 saves, and posting a goals-against average of 1.14 in 2023. Payton Aselton is the team's lone returning All-Conference selection from 2023, after starting all 18 matches and playing 1,564 minutes in the midfield.
ABOUT WESTERN OREGON
Behind the leadership of sixth-year head coach Kacey Bingham, WOU was slated fourth in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll. Lulu Sadler is one of the conference's top returning talents after garnering First Team All-GNAC recognition in 2023. The Camas, Wash., native was one of four Wolves to start all 19 matches, racking up 1,646 minutes patrolling the pitch last fall. Sophia Pierce started 16 matches in goal and ranked second in the GNAC with a goals-against average of 0.69.
Offensively, WOU's top returner is Lilly Nowatzke after she ranked third on the team with seven points on three goals and an assist in 2023. Gabby Warta scored two goals last year and is back on the roster.
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