GNAC on the agenda. After tacking two more victories onto an ever-growing home win streak, the 4th-ranked Seattle Pacific University women’s soccer team kicks-off twice this week against a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference competitors. The Falcons (2-0-1/8-0-1) first traverse Interstate 90 to Ellensburg for a Wednesday afternoon (Sept. 29) visit to Central Washington (2-2-0/5-5-0). On Saturday afternoon (Oct. 2), SPU puts its 21-game home winning streak on the line against Humboldt State (2-1-0/7-2-1). Seattle Pacific then hits the road for six consecutive games, beginning Oct. 9 in Seaside, Ca.

Near perfection. Approaching the regular season’s midpoint, Seattle Pacific is off to its best start in school history. Coach Chuck Sekyra saw his squad out-score visitors 6-0 in a pair of home wins last week and extend the home win streak past the second anniversary of the last loss. Seattle Pacific remained steady at No. 4 in last week’s national poll. It will probably move up another notch in the Sept. 28 rankings following a loss by No. 2 West Texas A&M last week. Last year, SPU became the first GNAC team to make the NCAA playoffs and the Falcons have their sights set not only on returning to the tournament, but winning a national championship.

Forward Sarah Martinez responded to some increased playing time up front with two goals and an assist to snatch GNAC player of the week.

Shuffle the cards. Sekyra elected to experiment with the lineup against Montana State Billings last week, and slipped Heidi Jacobson (Jr., Kirkland, Wa./Cedar Park Christian) into the midfield from her usual forward spot. Jacobson responded with her second score in as many games, ripping a 20-yard shot past keeper Theresa Plank to make it 2-0 at intermission. Jacobson chalked up an assist in the Western Oregon win. Forward Sarah Martinez (Fr., Bothell, Wa./Cedar Park Christian) responded to some increased playing time up front with two goals and an assist to snatch GNAC player of the week. Martinez opened up the scoring in the Billings match, cleanly converting after a knockdown from Megan Lienhard (Jr., Everett, Wa./Cascade) on a cross from Katie Lim (Sr., Hillsboro, Or.).

Two more shutouts for the D. The starting back line of Lim, Michelle Everson (Jr., Tacoma, Wa./Stadium), Mollie Taylor (So., Westlake Village, Ca./Oaks Christian) and Carolyn Nason (So., Lafayette, Co./Broomfield) plus top reserve Jean Kolb (Jr., Eugene, Or./South Eugene) notched another pair of shutouts in the wins last week and held opponents to a minuscule six shots. All-America goaltender Jennifer Hull (Sr., Eugene, Or./Sheldon) was forced to make only three saves in the wins because there were so little offense generated by the visitors. Hull currently owns a 0.34 goals-against average, a percentage that rates No. 1 in the GNAC. Hull is No. 2 in save percentage at .885. Statistically, the Falcons are first in the conference in goals-against average (0.33) and second in shutouts (6). SPU has not allowed more than one goal in a game during its 23-game conference unbeaten string.

Plenty to share. With a half-dozen goals tallied in two matches, there were more than enough high-fives to go around. Team scoring leader Michelle Sanders (Sr., Centralia, Wa.) finished off the Billings match with her fourth goal of the season, pulling her dead-even with All-America midfielder Shannon Lovejoy (Jr., Seattle, Wa./Seattle Prep) on the career points list at 73 each. Lovejoy garnered an assist in the same match. Jessica Henson (Sr., Spokane, Wa./University) beat Western Oregon keeper Ally Miller with assistance from Jacobson and Nason headed in her first goal as a Falcon from an Everson corner kick for the final margin.

Footnotes. Seattle Pacific has not lost to a GNAC foe in 23 games, going 21-0-2 since Sept. 25, 2002. The pair of ties were against Western Washington and Seattle University...The Falcons are the lone remaining GNAC team with an unbeaten record...Sekyra was able to play the entire roster last week. Kara Hamby (Fr., Spokane, Wa./Mead), Allison Teague (Jr., Redmond, Wa./Bellevue Christian), Leila Stalnaker (Sr., Auburn, Wa./Seattle Christian) and Tricia Loomis (Fr., Des Moines, Wa./Mount Rainier) earned expanded minutes in reserve roles last week...Sanders (12) and Lovejoy (10) are third and seventh in the conference statistics in points. Sanders and Martinez are Nos. 3 and 8 in goals...Lovejoy (4) is third in assists while Everson and Henson are tied for fifth with three each...Teamwise, the Falcons rate second in goals per game (2.33) and also in assists (2.22)...During Sekyra’s brief tenure, SPU has won 25 of 30 games, posting 21 shutouts...The Falcons have out-scored opponents 14-3 in the first half this season and have not allowed a second-half goal (7-0).

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.