SEATTLE – The Seattle Pacific University women's soccer team took on Simon Fraser in the semifinals of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships, where save after save from
Celia Ramos, including two during a penalty shootout that decided the game, helped the Falcons advance to Saturday's GNAC Championship match.
FROM THE COACH
"It's awesome. This is what college soccer is all about," said SPU head coach
Arby Busey. "We have been in some epic ones in the past for sure, but this is an all-timer. To get a shutout against a group that is that high-powered attacking-wise – we worked our socks off to try to keep them out of the net. That's a testament to the hard work of the women I get to coach every day."
"It's a testament to what Carlo (Basso) has done with that program – what they asked of us tonight was to empty everything," Busey said. "That's what it took to get into a shootout and to beat those guys. We love playing Simon Fraser – they play in a manner that is respectful to the game, and it took everything we had tonight to extend it out."
FROM THE PLAYER
"I have experienced plenty of shootouts in club soccer growing up, but I felt like this one was a little more meaningful,"
Celia Ramos said after the match. "I wanted to play for my team and for my seniors, so I just made sure to focus up and think about the people who are on the sideline, lining up on the halfway line and supporting me. I always trust my gut and try to read their run-ups."
"The past few games against Simon Fraser haven't exactly gone our way, but we all know in those games we had momentum at times and had belief in each other that we could beat this team," Andieu Buckley said. "It was getting momentum off every little ball we won and having full belief in every person on the team that we could get this win today."
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Maddie Cooke had a chance to give the Falcons an early lead in the fifth minute of the match, but her left-footed shot was saved.
- Cooke continued to be dangerous, taking shots that were saved in the 16th and 34th minutes of the match.
- Natalie Carroll nearly put the Falcons up 1-0 in the 35th minute, but SFU's Sofia Peperini made a nifty save to keep the match scoreless.
- Celia Ramos made her first save of the match in the 42nd minute, keeping the match tied 1-1.
- Nora Patterson had a breakaway chance in the closing seconds of the first half that SFU's Peperni got just enough of to keep out of the net.
- The Falcons and the Red Leafs were tied 0-0 at halftime.
- The Red Leafs came out of the break firing, sending in five shots in the first six minutes of the second half.
- The closing moments were chaotic, as SFU's Sarah Caravatta and Kiera Scott drilled shots off the crossbar, followed by another shot from Sofia Faremo that was saved by Ramos.
- Ava Suarez and Andie Buckley sent in shots in the final minute of the match, but the Falcons and Red Leafs settled for overtime.
- After two 10-minute overtime periods, the Falcons and Red Leafs lined up for a shootout to decide who moves on.
- Ramos denied Dariella Lopez on SFU's third attempt and Faremo on its fifth attempt, which proved to be enough for the triumph.
- The Falcons converted four of five shots from the spot, with Maddie Cooke, Andie Buckley, Logann Dukes and Haley Teofilo striking the back of the net.
- Teofilo's goal on the fifth attempt prompted a celebratory mob of Falcons as it ended the shootout.
FROM THE BOX SCORE
- The Falcons withstood an onslaught from the Red Leafs, as SFU launched 29 shots during the match, eight of which were on goal.
- SPU created chances for itself, sending in 14 shots, six on goal, and taking four corner kicks during the match.
- Cooke led the Falcons with a team-high five shots, three of which were on goal.
- Ramos finished the match with eight saves.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Ramos faced a career-high 29 shots for the Falcons on Thursday, and matched a career-high in saves with eight.
- SPU is now 21-5-7 all-time against SFU
UP NEXT
The Falcons have advanced to the GNAC Championship match on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. against Western Washington, with the winner earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
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