PORTLAND, Ore. - The Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced its Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll on Wednesday afternoon, with Seattle Pacific University tabbed to finish third in the 2026 conference standings.
Western Washington and Simon Fraser are tied atop the 2026 GNAC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll. Both the Vikings and the Red Leafs earned four first-place votes and tallied 60 points, tying for the top spot. The Falcons accrued 45 points, landing in third place in the preseason projections. Western Oregon rounds out the top half of the conference with 37 points to put them in fourth place.
Central Washington, Northwest Nazarene, Montana State University Billings, and Saint Martin's run fifth through eighth in the poll.
"No one has played a game yet, so these predictions are fun to look at, but ultimately everything will be decided by the players on the field throughout the season," head coach Arby Busey said.
The Falcons enter 2026 with a chance to extend their streak of qualifying for the GNAC Championships to 14. SPU has never missed the GNAC Championships since its inception in 2012. SPU finished 2026 with an 8-5-7 record while going 6-3-5 in conference play. They finished fourth in the conference, earning a semifinal match against the Vikings at the GNAC Championships. A late golden goal from the Vikings brought the Falcons' season to an end.
Experienced returners in Landry Schoennauer, Ashlyn Valdovinos, and Andie Buckley hope to lead the Falcons to deep postseason run.
Schoennauer appeared in 18 matches and played 810 minutes in goal for the Falcons in 2025. She led the team with 36 saves, had an .837 save percentage, and a 0.78 goals-against average. She earned GNAC All-Academic Team recognition.
Valdovinos had a strong 2025 season, appearing in 19 matches for the Falcons, playing 1,347 minutes while recording three goals and three assists for nine points. She scored the game-winning goal against Saint Martin's on Sept. 25. Valdovinos earned First Team All-GNAC and Second Team D2 CCA All-Region honors while also receiving GNAC All-Academic Team and CSC Academic All-District recognition.
Buckley appeared in and started all 20 matches for the Falcons, playing 1,380 minutes while recording two goals and three assists for seven points. She also took 16 shots, including six on goal, and earned GNAC All-Academic Team and CSC Academic All-District recognition.
The Falcons welcome eight newcomers to their roster in 2026. Claire Largent, Natalie Carroll, Khloe Mahaffey, Piper Paslay, Charlotte Santos, and Celia Ramos enter their first year of collegiate soccer. Raeah Raymondo and Jaylee Curran join the squad as transfers to round out the signing class.
The Falcons open the season with a three-match road trip through Northern California. SPU begins the campaign at Chico State on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. before traveling to Rocklin to face Jessup on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. The Falcons conclude the road swing at Cal State East Bay on Tuesday, Sept. 1 at 2:00 p.m.
SPU SOCIAL
· X - @SPUSports
· Instagram - @SPUSports & @SPUWomensSoccer
· Facebook - /SPUSports
Seattle's only NCAA Division II Scholarship Program | #GoFalcons
