Home, sweet home. Its stock rising in the region following four weeks without a loss, the Seattle Pacific University women's soccer team returns to Interbay Stadium for a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference games over the next two weeks. The Falcons (3-0-1/7-1-2) put their 10-game home win streak on the line Wednesday night (Oct. 1) when they face Central Washington 0-3-0/2-8-0). Afterwards, there's an eight-day break before hosting Western Washington Oct. 9.

A win & tie does wonders. Funny thing, that Far West Region ranking. A series of blowout wins did little to shove SPU up the weekly ladder. But last week's win and draw on the road seemed to do wonders. Following a 2-0 GNAC win at Humboldt State and a 1-1 tie at Chico State, the Falcons are now fifth in the region, an improvement of two spots. It's the best ranking in the program's brief, three-year existence. Cal State Dominguez Hills, UC San Diego, Seattle University and San Francisco State occupy the top four positions. The top four teams will earn NCAA Division II playoff berths in November. No GNAC team has ever qualified for the tournament. Streaks alive. Seattle Pacific is now unbeaten in its last seven games and, going back to Sept. 25, 2002, the Falcons have gone 17-1-3 in their last 21 games. That includes the 10 straight home wins. During the stretch they have overwhelmed visitors by a combined score of 37-4.

It begins with D. Chuck Sekyra has seen his new defensive scheme not only take hold but take the region by storm. The new head coach implemented a flat back four instead of the three backs used in the past, and the data suggests it was a masterstroke. Seattle Pacific ranked second nationally in shutout percentage and fifth in overall scoring defense last week, and goalkeeper Jennifer Hull (Jr., Eugene, Or./Sheldon) was No. 3 in goals-against average. Hull and the regular backline of Nicole Ruiz (Sr., Federal Way, Wa./Federal Way-Barry), Katie Lim (Jr., Hillsboro, Or.), Michelle Everson (So., Tacoma, Wa./Stadium) and Mollie Taylor (Fr., Westlake Village, Ca./Oaks Christian) have only allowed four goals this season and have posted a total of seven shutouts. Hull, who had eight saves last week, leads the GNAC with a GAA of 0.32 and five individual shutouts. Taylor also provided a late goal at Chico, converting a cross from fellow defender Briana Murphy (So., Ferndale, Wa.) in the 84th minute.

Three's the charm. The stout defense has enabled the Falcons to weather an offensive drought of just three goals scored in the last three games. Midfielder Jessica Henson (Jr., Spokane, Wa./University) booted a score in each half at Humboldt State to earn a share of GNAC player of the week. The Lumberjacks played the final 68 minutes with only 10 players following an intentional handball which led to Henson's first goal, a penalty kick. Michelle Sanders (Jr., Centralia, Wa.) crossed to Henson for an insurance goal. Sanders leads the team with five assists. Henson now has three goals.

Footnotes. A return to Interbay may signal the start of another scoring spree. In the last three home games the Falcons scored a total of 17 goals...The Falcons have yet to allow a first-half goal this season...Chico State's goal ended a school-record string of four straight shutouts...Despite not scoring a point in the last three games Shannon Lovejoy (So., Seattle, Wa./Seattle Prep) is tied for second in the conference in goals scored (5) and is second in total points (13). Sanders is second in assists and sixth in points (11). Heidi Jacobson (So., Bothell, Wa./Cedar Park Christian-Gonzaga) is tied for third in assists (4) and is seventh in points (10). Megan Lienhard (So., Everett, Wa./Cascade) is eighth in points...At Chico, Jacobson had a score called back on a late offside call and Everson narrowly missed a pair of free kicks near the top of the box. Chico's goal was the first allowed by Hull in 589 minutes over eight games...Seattle Pacific is tied for the conference lead with Seattle U. with 28 goals apiece...Jacobson and Lienhard each have three goals and three assists at home this season. Jacobson has scored in her last three Interbay games and Lienhard had two goals and two assists in her last home game.

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.