Home, home & home. Emerging unscathed after four consecutive games on the road, the Seattle Pacific University women’s soccer team has been rewarded with a season-long four-game home stand and a national ranking befitting their perfect record. Now ranked No. 2 in the nation, the Falcons (1-0-0/8-0-0) face Western Oregon (0-0-0/2-4-0) Thursday night (Sept. 22) in the second installment of the home stand, and on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 24) a busy week concludes with another Great Northwest Athletic Conference match against Humboldt State (0-0-0/4-4-0). Western Washington visits Interbay Stadium Sept. 28 before SPU goes on the road for three outings.

Playing for keeps. The ultimate objective for Coach Chuck Sekyra and his Falcons is to play for an NCAA championship in December, but the building blocks for that project have already been moved into place. Seattle Pacific has played and beaten three of the top nine teams in the Far West Region, and opened GNAC play with a convincing road win. SPU climbed one more rung in the NSCAA national coaches poll and trails only defending national champion Metro State. In the region, it is No. 1, followed by Cal State Dominguez Hills, UC San Diego, Seattle University and Chico State.

Streaks alive. It’s beginning to require a computer database to keep track of all the unbeaten streaks being managed by the Falcons. They are unbeaten in their last 45 (43-0-2) regular season matches over three seasons, and have not lost in 33 GNAC matches (31-0-2) since Sept. 25, 2002. Going into the Western Oregon fixture, they have not allowed a goal in their last seven conference games. And at home, they have won 16 consecutive GNAC games, out-scoring visitors 41-2.

Seniors turning it up. It’s safe to say that Sekyra’s seniors want to go out on top as they have been playing with good deal of urgency. Seniors account for nearly half of the total points (39 of 81). At Northwest Nazarene, Heidi Jacobson (Sr., Kirkland, Wa./Cedar Park Christian) tallied her sixth and seventh goals of the season to sew-up GNAC player of the week in the 4-0 win while Megan Lienhard (Sr., Everett, Wa./Cascade) added a goal and two assists in the last two games. Career scoring leader Shannon Lovejoy (Sr., Seattle, Wa./Seattle Prep) sits atop the GNAC playmakers with five assists. Allison Teague (Sr., Redmond, Wa./Bellevue Christian/Santa Clara) figured into two game-winning goals during the California trip. Defenders Michelle Everson (Sr., Tacoma, Wa./Stadium) and Jean Kolb (Sr., Eugene, Or./South Eugene) have helped anchor a back line which has allowed only three goals in eight games.

Defense perfect again. Neither NNU nor Grand Canyon were unable to come up with an equation that would break down the SPU defense, as those two opponents mustered a total of just four shots. Goalkeeper Jen Burns (Fr., Boise, Id./Capital) whittled down her goals-against average to a conference-best 0.29 without making a save against GCU, which was out-shot 23-1. Everson and fellow central defender Carolyn Nason (Jr., Lafayette, Co./Broomfield/Metro State) hooked-up for the final goal in the 3-0 victory. Burns and the back four, which also includes Mollie Taylor (Jr., Westlake Village, Ca./Oaks Christian), have held opponents scoreless in five of eight games and, by smothering opposing forays, have allowed only 5.4 shots per game.

Greasing the wheels. Offensively, the Falcons are as balanced as they are deep, as the Grand Canyon contest illustrated. Five different players figured in the scoring. Sarah Martinez (So., Bothell, Wa./Cedar Park Christian) garnered her fifth goal, followed by Shannon Oakes (Fr., Boise, Id./Boise) and Nason. With less than 20 minutes remaining, Oakes lifted a free kick over the top of the Antelopes’ wall. Earlier, she had been denied by the GCU keeper, who batted her long-range shot off the crossbar. The last eight goals scored by Seattle Pacific have involved 10 different players on the goals or assists, and the Falcons lead the GNAC and rank among the top five teams nationally in scoring, averaging 3.75.

Footnotes. Jacobson leads the GNAC in both points (15) and goals (7). Martinez is tied for No. 2 in goals (5) and No. 3 in points (12), just ahead of Lienhard (11)...Everson has nine assists in her last nine home games and is tied for No. 2 in the conference with a total of four...Burns is also the GNAC leader in saves percentage (.900)...Ten players have started each of the eight games but Sekyra may begin shuffling the lineup in the next few games to give others opportunities...Offensively, SPU is far ahead of its scoring pace from a year ago, having scored 12 more goals in the first eight games while allowing just three, the same as in ‘04.

Coaching Staff. SPU Coaching Staff. Chuck Sekyra was voted coach of the year for the second consecutive time in the GNAC after taking the Falcons to a league title, NCAA playoff berth and a 19-1-2 record in his second 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 men¹s coach from 1998-99. Sekyra was a starter on the Œ86 squad which became the first in Division II history to win back-to-back national 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 third year on the staff after previously coaching at San Francisco (his alma mater), Wyoming, Fresno State and Kansas. Chalise Baysa, Oregon¹s all-time scoring leader, is in her second season on the staff. She now plays for the W-League Seattle Sounders.

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.