Early Birds. With the school bell’s first ringing still more than a month away and a hot sun perched high in the summer sky, soccer season shoots into full swing for the Seattle Pacific University women’s team this weekend. Regular season play commences at home Saturday night (Aug. 27) with the 9th-ranked Falcons facing Chico State in a rematch of last year’s first-round playoff. Next Tuesday night (Aug. 30), SPU is pitted against Biola before concluding a season-opening, three-game homestand Sept. 3 against Sonoma State.

Unfinished business. Having been to the NCAA Division II tournament each of the last two years and having delved deeper into the playoffs with each showing, the Falcons and Coach Chuck Sekyra have set their sights on not only returning to the playoffs but making a legitimate run at a national title. Seattle Pacific certainly packs the punch and potential. There are seven returning starters from a team which went 19-1-2 and was ranked No. 1 in the national poll for several weeks in ‘04. Plus, Sekyra now possesses what he considers to be the most pivotal factor for going deep into the tournament: depth.

Deep thoughts. A year ago, SPU was unstoppable throughout the regular season, going unbeaten in 12 Great Northwest Athletic Conference outings and emerging victorious in its final 13 regular season games. But it came at a cost; the Falcons were without their top scorer and several other key performers were far from 100 percent for the playoffs. Although he lost an All-American goalkeeper and two all-region field players to graduation, Sekyra feels he has more than restocked his shelves through recruiting. He goes into the campaign with the belief that he can substitute at any or all positions with no dropoff in quality.

Familiar faces. Headlining the cast of returnees are All-Americans Shannon Lovejoy (Sr., Seattle, Wa./Seattle Prep) and Michelle Everson (Sr., Tacoma, Wa./Stadium). Lovejoy was the GNAC player of the year, and is the career scoring leader with 34 career goals. Everson’s gifted left foot set up 13 scores in ‘04, and she anchored a defense that held opponents to just four goals during the regular season. All-region selection Carolyn Nason (Jr., Lafayette, Co./Broomfield-Metro State) will be paired with Everson in central defense, with Jean Kolb (Sr., Eugene, Or./South Eugene) and Mollie Taylor (Jr., Westlake Village, Ca./Oaks Christian) patrolling the flanks. Up front is a potent strike force comprised of seniors Heidi Jacobson (Sr., Kirkland, Wa./Cedar Park Christian) and Megan Lienhard (Sr., Everett, Wa./Cascade) and Sarah Martinez (So., Bothell, Wa./Cedar Park Christian), who scored eight times and was all-region as a frosh. Together, Jacobson and Lienhard have 30 career goals.

Opportunity knocks. With Jennifer Hull, a two-time All-American and four-year starter, now graduated, the goalkeeping chores are now up for grabs between Erin Pierce (Sr., Milwaukie, Or./Rex Putnam), a part-time starter in ‘02, Katie Ruggles (Jr., Eugene, Or./South Eugene) or Jen Burns (Fr., Boise, Id./Capital), who was impressive in preseason. Claire Grubbs (Fr., Sterling, Va./Potomac Falls) is another solid stopper in back. Midfield has some openings as well. Allison Teague (Sr., Redmond, Wa./Bellevue Christian/Santa Clara) and Kara Hamby (So., Spokane, Wa./Mead) have been effective in substitute roles in the past while Shannon Oakes (Fr., Boise, Id./Boise) is also challenging. The teams’s most versatile player is Samantha Hufford (Jr., Sammamish, Wa./Eastlake), one of two transfers from Washington State.

Streaks alive. The match against Chico State will put the Falcons’ regular season unbeaten-streak to the test, as Seattle Pacific has not lost in its last 37 regular season games (34-0-3). In GNAC matches, it is been unbeaten in 32 matches (30-0-2). At Interbay Stadium, SPU has won 25 straight regular season games since 2002.

Footnotes. In the GNAC preseason coaches poll, Seattle Pacific was the favorite, receiving six of seven first-place votes. Following, in order, were Seattle U., Western Washington and Humboldt State. The Redhawks, who dealt SPU its only defeat last season in the second round of the playoffs, are No. 6 nationally in the preseason poll. A year ago, the Falcons started at No. 22 but finished the regular season with a six-week run at No. 1...GNAC play begins Sept. 16 at Northwest Nazarene, just before a season-long four-game homestand...In Sekyra’s two years as coach, 30 of the 36 wins have been by shutout...Meredith Teague (Fr., Redmond, Wa./Bellevue Christian), younger sister of Allison, is pressing for time at outside back, as is Katie Taylor (Fr., Vancouver, Wa./Columbia River). Tricia Loomis (So., Des Moines, Wa./Mount Rainier), a converted defender, has done well in preseason as a central striker. Fleet-footed Jessica Gerstman (So., Puyallup, Wa./Cascade Christian) and Lacey Keyser (Fr., Eugene, Or./Sheldon) have been effective on the wings...In addition to Hull, Sekyra also lost five other original members of the program, including Michelle Sanders, who led last year’s team with 10 goals despite missing both postseason games.

Coaching Staff. Cliff McCrath is the Division II leader in career coaching victories (563). In 2002 he surpassed San Francisco’s retired Steve Negoesco to briefly become collegiate soccer’s leader for all divisions. McCrath has led SPU to a record 27 NCAA playoff appearances, including berths in 17 of the last 21 years, and five national titles (1978, ‘83, ‘85, ‘86 and ‘93). His staff includes former Falcons Mark Collings (‘98 Final Four), Mark Metzger (‘78 championship team), and Sergio Soriano (‘78 NCAA winners).

Tickets, Please. Ticket prices for all SPU regular season home games are $7 for reserved and $5 for general admission, with students and senior citizens receiving G.A. tickets for $3. Group and team rates are available by phoning (206) 281-2085 in advance.

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.