Split Agenda. After wrapping up a three consecutive games on the road, the No. 2 Seattle Pacific University women’s soccer team is back on its home turf this week for a two-game stand. The unbeaten Falcons (6-0-1/13-0-1) play their final non-conference opponent, nationally-ranked Simon Fraser (7-4-2), Wednesday night (Oct. 19). Then, SPU resumes Great Northwest Athletic Conference play Saturday night (Oct. 22) against Northwest Nazarene (1-5-0/4-9-1). Next week is the final road trip, to Humboldt State and Western Oregon.

Looking good with six to go. With a half-dozen regular season matches left to play, the Falcons are positioning themselves to win their fourth straight GNAC title. A 1-0 victory at Western Washington kept them four points ahead of Seattle University in the league standings, and only strengthened their hold on the No. 1 spot in the Far West Region. Nationally, SPU will stay behind Metro State in the NCSAA coaches poll. The defending NCAA Division II champion Roadrunners won twice. In the initial ratings by the NCAA last week, Seattle Pacific was No. 1, followed by UC San Diego, Cal State Dominguez Hills, Chico State and Seattle University. Four teams will receive postseason berths and the top seed hosts the first and second round games Nov. 10-12.

Streaks keep rolling. Coach Chuck Sekyra saw his team score early at Western to push its regular season unbeaten streak to 51 games (48-0-3). The GNAC tally sits at 39 in a row (36-0-3). In addition to its three consecutive conference titles, Seattle Pacific has made two straight trips to the NCAA playoffs, yet is seeking its first tournament victory and regional crown. At home, the Falcons are 7-0-0 this season, out-scoring visitors 28-2.

Quick feet, quick hands. Sekyra has championed aggressive offensive tactics all season long and it didn’t take Seattle Pacific to assert itself at Bellingham. In the third minute, Megan Lienhard (Sr., Everett, Wa./Cascade) was set free by a pass from Heidi Jacobson (Sr., Kirkland, Wa./Cedar Park Christian), beat two defenders and fired a hard shot into the net from 12 yards. It was Lienhard’s fifth goal of the year and her first in seven games. She was the GNAC co-player of the week. Keeper Jen Burns (Fr., Boise, Id./Capital) preserved victory with three saves in the closing minutes, including a diving save to stop a potential equalizer in the 83rd minute.

Stingy defense. Although the Falcons were without the services of All-America sweeper Michelle Everson (Sr., Tacoma, Wa./Stadium) and starting fullback Mollie Taylor (Jr., Westlake Village, Ca./Oaks Christian), Burns was well supported in the flanks. The starting back line of Claire Grubbs (Fr., Sterling, Va./Potomac Falls), Carolyn Nason (Jr., Lafayette, Co./Broomfield), Katie Taylor (Fr., Vancouver, Wa./Columbia River), and Meredith Teague (Fr., Redmond, Wa./Bellevue Christian) effectively held the Vikings in check. Burns stopped five shots altogether. She currently owns a GNAC-best 0.41 goals-against average.

In the middle of things. The squad’s impressive overall depth continues to pay off for Sekyra and along with the shuffle on the back line, Allison Teague (Sr., Redmond, Wa./Bellevue Christian/Santa Clara) made her first start of the season at midfield, alongside Samantha Hufford (Jr., Sammamish, Wa./Eastlake/Wash. St.) and Kara Hamby (So., Spokane, Wa./Mead). Career scoring leader Shannon Lovejoy (Sr, Seattle, Wa./Seattle Prep.), who has 100 career GNAC points, played part of the game while on the mend from an ankle injury.

Footnotes. The Falcons have won 19 consecutive GNAC home games...After winning its previous four games by an average margin of four goals, the last four SPU games have been decided by one goal...Top-ranked Metro State remains the only team in Division II with an unblemished record (15-0-0)...Jacobson leads the Falcons and the GNAC in goals (10) and points (23). She is the co-leader in game-winning goals (3). Sarah Martinez (So., Bothell, Wa./Cedar Park Christian) is No. 3 in GNAC goals (8) and points (20), despite getting only one assist in the last five games. Lovejoy is No. 7 in points (14) and Lienhard No. 8 (13)...Burns’ five saves at Western equalled a season high...At last glance, SPU ranked No. 8 nationally in goals-against average (0.45) and No. 13 in offense (3.38 GPG). Individually, Lovejoy was No. 16 in assists...Taylor is expected to miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury, which may require surgery...The team’s last loss was Nov. 13, 2004 against Seattle U. in the NCAA Far West Region title game. The last regular season loss was Sept. 1, 2003 at Cal State Dominguez Hills and last GNAC loss was Sept. 25, 2002 at Seattle U...The big games in the Far West this week are Cal State Dominguez Hills at UC San Diego and Chico State hosts Cal State Stanislaus. Both UCSD and Chico lost last week.

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.