Higher expectations. Calendar-wise, it's hardly the waning days of summer yet for the Seattle Pacific University women's soccer team it might as well be. The fall campaign begins in just seven short days, when the Falcons kick-off their third season of play Thursday night (Aug. 28) at Cal State L.A. It's the first of three games in Southern California. Seattle Pacific visits Biola Saturday (Aug. 30) and Cal State Dominguez Hills Sept. 1 before returning home to host No. 18 Sonoma State Sept. 6. SPU is coming off a sophomore year in which it went 13-4-2 and won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title.

New coach's debut. Next week's game will mark the official debut of new Coach Chuck Sekyra. The goal of Sekyra, who replaced Bobby Bruch last spring, is to contend for an NCAA Division II tournament berth, and these early-season contests with the California teams will go a long way toward determining the Falcons' fate. The NCAA bracket was expanded from 24 to 32 teams, meaning the top four teams in the Far West Region will qualify. Four California Collegiate Athletic Association teams are included in the preseason national rankings. No GNAC team has ever qualified for the playoffs.

Otherwise, a familiar cast. Aside from Sekyra and a few recruits, the Falcons will largely field a team of familiar faces. They lost just one starter and four letterwinners from a year ago. Among the returnees are all-GNAC selections Michelle Sanders (Jr., Centralia, Wa.), Shannon Lovejoy (So., Seattle, Wa./Seattle Prep) and Megan Lienhard (So., Everett, Wa./Cascade). Sanders led the team with 11 goals and the league with 30 points last season. Lovejoy was the co-freshman of the year and, together, the threesome accounted for 30 goals and 20 assists. Other holdovers from the first 11 include defenders Nicole Ruiz (Sr., Federal Way, Wa./Federal Way-Barry), Katie Lim (Jr., Hillsboro, Or.) and Jean Kolb (So., Eugene, Or./South Eugene); and midfielders Jessica Henson (Jr., Spokane, Wa./University), Sarah Melby (Jr., Mukilteo, Wa./Kamiak/Idaho) and Michelle Everson (So., Tacoma, Wa./Stadium). Keepers Jennifer Hull (Jr., Eugene, Or./Sheldon) and Erin Pierce (So., Milwaukie, Or./Rex Putnam) virtually split last season in goal.

Streaks alive. Whereas Seattle Pacific was an underdog going into its first two seasons, the Falcons are now cast in the role of a favorite. They were picked to finish first in the GNAC, just ahead of Seattle University. SPU went unbeaten in its final 11 games and defeated the Redhawks to take the conference crown in the final game. The last loss (2-1 to Seattle U.) was Sept. 25, 2002.

Recruiting class. Although his team has 18 returning players, Sekyra says there is plenty of competition for key roles. Heidi Jacobson (So., Bothell, Wa./Cedar Park Christian) is a transfer from Gonzaga, where she was the No. 2 scorer for the Zags as a freshman. Mollie Taylor (Fr., Westlake Village, Ca./Oaks Christian) led her team in both goals and assists en route to a 5A state championship in California, and Brenna Ingersol (Fr., Monument, Co./Palmer) was a four-time all-Colorado prep selection.

Field of dreams. Interbay Stadium, the team's home facility, has a new playing surface. FieldTurf, a synthetic grass with ground rubber infill, was installed during the summer, replacing a predominantly natural grass field. FieldTurf is a FIFA-approved surface and it is the same product used at Husky Stadium and Seahawks Stadium. Eight home games will be played at Interbay, including a four-game home stand between Sept. 6-15. SPU was 14-3-1 at home its first two years.

Footnotes. Jacobson and Lienhard scored goals in a 2-1 scrimmage win at Simon Fraser earlier this week...Sekyra is well-acquainted with his returnees, having directed them through a tough spring season schedule in which they played exclusively Division I programs. The Falcons defeated Portland State (1-0), tied Idaho (0-0) and lost to Washington State (0-1), an NCAA tournament team...Ruiz is the team's sole senior. There are 10 sophomores, eight freshmen and seven juniors on the roster...The squad features one set of sisters, Allison Teague (So., Redmond, Wa./Bellevue Christian-Santa Clara) and Melinda Teague (Fr., Redmond, Wa./Bellevue Christian). Allison was a key reserve in midfield as a freshman last season. Younger sister Melinda, also a midfielder, is in her first year...Hull and Lovejoy played for the Hibernian Saints team which won the U.S. amateur cup title last month.

SPU Coaching Staff. Chuck Sekyra was hired as the Falcons' head coach on Feb. 24, 2002. Seykra, an assistant at the University of Washington for three seasons, has close ties to the Puget Sound soccer community and to Seattle Pacific in particular. He is a graduate of SPU, played on two NCAA championship teams and was assistant men's coach from 1998-99. Sekyra is head coach of the Washington State girls ODP Under-16 team and a Region IV ODP staff coach. He was a starter on the '86 squad which became the first in Division II history to win back-to-back national championships. Returning to the staff for her second year is Julie Cain. New to the bench are Kevin Blokker and volunteer assistant Steve Miller.

Missing links. For the latest and best information on Seattle Pacific University athletics, stay where you're at -- on The Falcons Online. For updated standings and statistics, see the Great Northwest Athletic Conference web site.