Lovejoy's Hat Trick Leads Falcons Past Cal State L.A. in Season Opener
SPU extends win streak to 12
August 28, 2003

Complete Box Score

LOS ANGELES (Aug. 28) – Shannon Lovejoy (So., Seattle/Seattle Prep) scored three goals and recorded one assist to lead the Seattle Pacific University Women’s Soccer team past Cal State L.A. 4-0 in the Falcons season opener Thursday night.

The match is the Falcons (1-0) first under new coach Chuck Sekyra who took over the program last spring. Tonight’s victory extends the Falcons unbeaten streak to 12 games leftover from last season in which they captured the Great Northwest Athletic Conference crown in just their second season as a program.

Lovejoy, an All-conference midfielder who scored nine goals total last season, struck first in the seventh minute of play off an assist from teammate Heidi Jacobson (So., Bothell, Wa./Cedar Park Christian). Jacobsen crossed to Lovejoy who fired off the score from inside the box.

Nearly 20 minutes later, Lovejoy put the Falcons up 2-0 with an unassisted rebound goal at the 26:43 mark. Ten minutes later, Lovejoy assisted on a goal to last season’s leading scorer, Michelle Sanders (Jr., Centralia, Wa./Centralia), who scored just five minutes after entering the game. Sanders goal gave the Falcons a comfortable 3-0 cushion heading into intermission.

Lovejoy completed her hat trick at 82:59 off a cross from Sanders.

Falcons goalkeeper Jennifer Hull (Jr., Eugene, Or./Sheldon) earned the shutout – already matching last year’s total. She recorded four saves on 11 total shots on goals by L.A.

The Falcons vie for consecutive win 13 Saturday at Biola.

Scoring --
1, SPU, Lovejoy (Jacobsen) 6:46;
2, SPU, Lovejoy (unassisted) 26:43;
3, SPU, Sanders (Lovejoy) 35:49;
4, SPU, Lovejoy (Sanders), 82:59

Shots -- SPU 14, CSLA 11.

Saves -- SPU (Hull) 4, CSLA (Herrera) 5.

Corner kicks -- SPU 5, CSLA 1.

Fouls -- SPU 10, CSLA 5.

Cautions -- Diskin, CSLA, 80:59; Chinchilla, CSLA, 82:49

A -- 124.