Setting-up shop. Just as Labor Day weekend signaled the end to the summer travel season, it also sent Seattle Pacific University home for its next four women's soccer games. The Falcons (2-1-0) commence their longest home stand of the season Saturday afternoon (Sept. 6) against Sonoma State (0-1-0). It will be the first game played on Interbay Stadium's newly-installed FieldTurf surface. Great Northwest Athletic Conference play begins Sept. 11 versus Western Oregon.

Two outta three. Historically speaking (keep in mind this is only Year Three for the program), SPU got off to its best start, winning two of three on the road. Yet new head coach Chuck Sekyra undoubtedly wanted to arrive home with an unblemished record. He nearly got his wish. The Falcons, who started 1-3-1 last season and 1-2-1 the year before, stormed out of the gate, winning their first two outings without allowing a single goal. That extended the win streak to 11 games and the unbeaten run to 13. But the team which last took a point versus Seattle Pacific also dealt the next defeat. Cal State Dominguez Hills came from behind to win 2-1, sending the visitors home on a sour note.

Interbay intangibles. Another win streak remains intact, however. The Falcons won their final six home games in 2002, by a combined margin of 21-3, and overall they are 14-3-1 at Interbay. This is not the same field which yielded such results. In July the problematic natural grass pitch was removed and replaced by FieldTurf, a synthetic surface with ground rubber infill. Seattle Pacific has a scoreless string of 208 minutes at home, dating back to last season. Offensively, Megan Lienhard (So., Everett, Wa./Cascade) scored five goals and had 12 points at home last year to lead the team.

We three goals. During the first three games, scoring largely came from two sources: one expected and one not. Shannon Lovejoy (So., Seattle, Wa./Seattle Prep) kick-started the attack at Cal State L.A., sending three balls into the net while taking 10 shots-a new program record. Lovejoy, who also had an assist in the 4-0 rout, had scored 10 goals to earn co-freshman of the year in the GNAC. In the final two games, midfielder Sarah Melby (Jr., Mukilteo, Wa./Kamiak/Idaho) accounted for all three goals. Melby tallied only once in her first season but dialed in a long-distance drive against both Biola and Dominguez Hills. Michelle Sanders (Jr., Centralia, Wa.), last season's top scorer with 11 goals, scored for the 15th time in her career at L.A.

Defense holds. Sekyra credited his defense for shutting down both Biola and Cal State L.A., allowing precious little space to operate, let alone launch an assault on goal. Keeper Jennifer Hull (Jr., Eugene, Or./Sheldon) made just five saves in those games to earn her fourth and fifth career shutouts. The back four resembled that of a year ago, with Nicole Ruiz (Sr., Federal Way, Wa./Federal Way-Barry), Katie Lim (Jr., Hillsboro, Or.) and Michelle Everson (So., Tacoma, Wa./Stadium) returning. Joining them was Briana Murphy (So., Ferndale, Wa.), who saw limited action in six games as a freshman.

It's always something. No sooner did Sekyra get Sanders, Ruiz and Everson back from injuries and he lost a couple more. Both Lim and starting forward Heidi Jacobson (So., Bothell, Wa./Cedar Park Christian) missed the Biola game. Jacobson, the transfer from Gonzaga, was credited with an assist at L.A. She returned in a substitute role versus Dominguez Hills.

Footnotes. Southern California native Mollie Taylor (Fr., Westlake Village, Ca./Oaks Christian) was the only rookie to get the starting call in the first three games, twice earning a place in midfield. Midfielder Theresa Morelli (Fr., Bellevue, Wa./Bellevue Christian) saw action as a reserve in all three matches...Hull and midfielder Jessica Henson (Jr., Spokane, Wa./University) are the only players to have played in all of the program's 41 games to date, with Henson having started 35...Lovejoy's hat trick was just the third in the program's existence, joining Sanders, Lienhard and Andrea Larsen. Her seven points was one shy of the single game record of eight set by Sanders last season...The loss at Dominguez Hills was the first since Sept. 25, 2002-a span of 341 days. The difference was an own goal off an errant clearance in the 62nd minute. The Falcons could have been ahead 3-0 at halftime. Both Sanders and Taylor hit the post in the first half...Allison Teague (So., Redmond, Wa./Bellevue Christian-Santa Clara) had an assist on Melby's second goal at Biola.

Tickets, Please. Ticket prices for all SPU regular season home games are $5 for general admission, with students and senior citizens $3. Group and team rates are available by phoning (206) 281-2085 in advance.

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.