Great expectations. Summer weather gave way to autumn-like rains this week, and just as abruptly the soccer season will kick into big-game mode for the Seattle Pacific University women’s team this weekend. Regular season play commences at home Saturday afternoon (Aug. 28) against with the 22nd-ranked Falcons facing No. 9 Cal State Dominguez Hills. Two days later, on Monday night (Aug. 30), SPU is pitted against another top team from the region, Cal Poly Pomona. The unanimous preseason pick to repeat as Great Northwest Athletic Conference champion for a third year in a row, Seattle Pacific concludes a season-opening, three-game home stand against Chico State Sept. 4.

Let’s do it differently. Coach Chuck Sekyra and his squad have set their sights on not only returning to the NCAA Division II tournament, but going after a national title. The Falcons certainly seem capable of making a run. They bring back 10 starters from a team which went 17-2-2 and ranked among the nation’s top three teams in defense. Still, Sekyra believes the inside track to the Far West Region title lies in the first three games. The first goal, he said, was to start 3-0-0–one of the few things SPU has not accomplished in its remarkable first three seasons. Last year, Seattle Pacific became the first GNAC team to make the playoffs. It was eliminated in the first round by Cal State Dominguez Hills, 2-1. The defending regional champion is UC San Diego, which is No. 3 in the national preseason poll.

Streaks alive. Saturday’s opening game features several intriguing factors and numbers, the biggest of which being that it’s a postseason rematch. However, the Toros are also the only team to defeat the Falcons in the last 32 games and they are last visiting team to avert a loss at Interbay. Both of the SPU losses in ‘03 were to CSDH and Seattle Pacific has won 15 straight at home since a 1-1 draw with Dominguez Hills in 2002. Last season, SPU was 9-0-0 at Interbay with a goal differential of 28-1

All-American Shannon Lovejoy will be one of the mainstays of a women's soccer squad that has its sights set on more than a GNAC championship.

Familiar cast. Aside from a few recruits, the Falcons will largely field a team of familiar faces. Headlining the returnees are All-Americans Shannon Lovejoy (Jr., Seattle, Wa./Seattle Prep) and Jennifer Hull (Sr., Eugene, Or./Sheldon). Lovejoy established a new school record for goals and led the GNAC with 17 and 38 points in ‘03 while Hull was the NCAA leader in goals-against average (0.30) and led the conference with 12 shutouts. GNAC Newcomer of the Year Heidi Jacobson (Jr., Kirkland, Wa./Cedar Park Christian) returns at forward along with two-time all-conference pick Michelle Sanders (Sr., Centralia, Wa.) and Theresa Morelli (So., Bellevue, Wa./Bellevue Christian). Joining Lovejoy in midfield are Sarah Melby (Sr., Mukilteo, Wa./Kamiak), Jessica Henson (Sr., Spokane, Wa./University) and Megan Lienhard (Jr., Everett, Wa./Cascade). Defensively, all-GNAC pick Katie Lim (Sr., Hillsboro, Or.), Mollie Taylor (So., Westlake Village, Ca./Oaks Christian) and Michelle Everson (Jr., Tacoma, Wa./Stadium) anchor the back four, which lost sweeper Nicole Ruiz to graduation.

Recruiting class. Although his team has 21 returning players, Sekyra says there is more competition than ever for key roles. Up front, Sarah Martinez (Fr., Bothell, Wa./Cedar Park Christian) will challenge for playing time and at midfield, where SPU is potentially seven deep, Kara Hamby (Fr., Spokane, Wa./Mead) will contribute. Martinez led Cedar Park Christian to is third straight state 1A title as a high school senior, scoring 30 goals and 12 assists. Hamby was second-team all-state. Defensively, transfer Carolyn Nason (So., Lafayette, Co./Broomfield) was a freshman starter for Metro State’s regional championship squad. Freshmen Jeanne Webster (Fr., Bothell, Wa./Bothell) and Tricia Loomis (Fr., Des Moines, Wa./Mt. Rainier) missed much of their senior campaigns due to injuries, but Sekyra is optimistic they will be in the hunt for minutes.

Footnotes. Sekyra led his returnees through a tough spring season schedule in which they played almost exclusively Division I programs. The Falcons defeated Idaho (2-0), Oregon State (1-0), Puget Sound (2-0) and tied Washington State (0-0) and Portland State (2-2)...Expected to figure prominently into Sekyra’s plans are key substitutes Allison Teague (Jr., Redmond, Wa./Bellevue Christian), and Briana Murphy (Jr., Ferndale, Wa.). Teague totaled eight points as a top reserve in midfield and Murphy played substantial minutes on the defensive end last season...SPU opens GNAC play Sept. 15. It is unbeaten in the last 20 league matches...Henson, Hull, Lim, Sanders, Leila Stalnaker (Sr., Auburn, Wa./Seattle Christian) and Karen France (Sr., Woodland Park, Co./Palmer) are original members of the women’s program...Overall, there are seven seniors, eight juniors, three sophomores and four freshman on the roster.

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 voted coach of the year in the GNAC after taking the Falcons to a league title, NCAA playoff berth and a 17-2-2 record in his first season. Seykra, an assistant at 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 was a starter on the ‘86 squad which became the first in Division II history to win back-to-back NCAA crowns. He is head coach of the Washington State girls ODP Under-16 team and a Region IV ODP staff coach. Goalkeeper coach Kevin Blokker returns for his second year on the staff after previously coaching at San Francisco (his alma mater), Wyoming, Fresno State and Kansas. Julie Cain is back for her third year. She both played and coached at Westmont. Chalise Baysa is new to the staff in 2004. She is Oregon’s all-time scoring leader and now plays for the W-League Seattle Sounders.

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.