They all count now. Mired in a four-game losing streak and a scoring drought as well, the Seattle Pacific University women's soccer team hopes to right itself when it returns to Great Northwest Athletic Conference play Saturday night (Sept. 29) versus Western Oregon (2-1, 5-4) at Interbay Stadium. Five of the Falcons' (2-1, 3-6-1) final nine games are at home. Next week they visit Western Washington Oct. 3 and then host the Vikings Oct. 6 in a rescheduled game.

A welcome return. The second half of the schedule is a welcome return to league play. Three of the losses and the sole tie this season have come at the feet of nationally-ranked non-conference teams. However, in GNAC play the Falcons have won two out of three. Their most recent win was Sept. 15 at conference rival Humboldt State. Seattle Pacific was picked in a preseason coaches poll to finish fifth amongst the seven GNAC teams. Surprisingly, the lone loss came on the road to Northwest Nazarene, picked to finish last. Western Oregon, incidentally, was predicted to finish sixth.

Road woes. With classes beginning this week and conference play resuming, it's somewhat of a fresh start for the Falcons--and that's a good thing. However, if you ask Coach Bobby Bruch, he may not want to erase last week altogether. Although SPU was shut-out in three of its last four games, the opponents managed to score only six goals and three of the losses were by a one-goal margin. After posting zeroes for the first time at Notre Dame de Namur and UC Davis, the attack broke a 290-minute scoreless streak against 21st-ranked Sonoma State. Down by a goal, Tara Wood (Fr., Bellevue, Wa./Newport) booted in the first goal of her career from a corner kick to tie the score the 63rd minute. Unfortunately, less than 10 minutes later, the Cossacks converted a corner kick of their own. The Falcons' LeRin Farrison (Jr., Mountain View/Highline) twice hit the post with potential game-tying shots but Sonoma held on to win, 2-1.

It all starts in the corner. Maybe the key to kick-starting the SPU offense is to earn more corner kicks. Four of the Falcons' last six goals have started with corner kicks. Wood's strike at Sonoma State was set-up by a cross from Melissa Ellingson (Fr., Shoreline, Wa./Shorewood), her second assist of the season. Michelle Sanders (Fr., Centralia, Wa.), who had two corner kick assists at Humboldt, leads the team with four.

Andrea's quiet fortnight. Although the season began with Andrea Larsen (Sr., Portland, Or./Central Catholic/Oklahoma State) ripping apart opponents on offense, news of her exploits and resulting scouting reports have held her without a goal since Sept. 8. Still, Larsen remains the Falcons' leader in both goals (four) total points (nine). She nearly equalized for the Falcons shortly before halftime vs. No. 3-ranked San Francisco State; her 12-yard shot was turned around the post by the Gators' goalie. Larsen was among a handful of current players who began training under Bruch last spring in preparation for this inaugural season. Larsen left Oklahoma State after the 1999 season as that school's career scoring leader.

Tickets, please. Ticket prices are $7 for reserved and $5 for general admission, with students and senior citizens receiving G.A. tickets for $3. Group rates are available by phoning (206) 281-2085 in advance.

Footnotes. Wood became the 10th different player to score this season. Only Larsen and sweeper Erin Roberts (Jr., Issaquah, Wa./Issaquah) have more than one goal...Leila Stalnaker (Fr., Auburn, Wa./Seattle Christian) may return to action this weekend. Stalnaker has missed the past eight games since suffering a sprained ankle in the closing minutes of the Aug. 28 game at Vanguard...Seattle Pacific is fourth among GNAC teams in goals per game (1.40)...Individually, Larsen is tied for fifth in goals (4) and is seventh in points (9). Sanders is tied for second in assists while goalkeeper Jennifer Hull (Fr., Eugene, Or./Sheldon) is seventh in goals-against average (1.80)...SPU out-shot unbeaten San Francisco State 7-2 in the first half but one of the Gators' shots came on a breakaway goal to open the scoring. The second goal came with only 5:42 remaining.

Schedule & opponent notes. Western Oregon is led by the five goals and 12 points of Jeanie Thomsen, who ranks fourth in GNAC scoring. The Wolves' head coach, Rod Fretz, suffered a heart attack Sept. 14 and has given the reins to assistant coach Kevin Plechl for the past three games. WOU has won four of its last six while scoring 14 goals.

SPU Coaching Staff. Bobby Bruch was hired as the Falcons' first head coach on Oct. 17, 2000. Bruch, an assistant on the SPU men's squad at the time, had been a successful girls coach in Southern California. He guided the West Coast F.C. Shamrocks of Mission Viejo, Ca., to the 1998 U.S. under-19 girls championship and his teams made it to the semifinal and final each on one other occasion. As a player, Bruch was a starting midfielder on Seattle Pacific's back-to-back NCAA men's titles in 1985-86 and later played on championship teams for F.C. Seattle (1988) and the L.A. Heat (1991). Assistant coach Sharon Harrold, a graduate of Redmond's Eastlake High School, played at Texas Christian before graduating from SPU in 2001.