Complete Box Score

SEATTLE, Wa. (Oct. 22)—Megan Lienhard struck for a hat trick as No. 2-ranked Seattle Pacific University overwhelmed Northwest Nazarene 7-0 in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference women’s soccer game Saturday night at Interbay Stadium.

The Falcons (14-0-2/7-0-1 GNAC) pushed their regular season unbeaten streak to 53 games (49-0-4) with the victory over the Crusaders (4-11-1/1-7-0 GNAC). Seattle Pacific has not lost a conference match in its last 40 outings (37-0-3), and is vying for its fourth straight GNAC title.

Lienhard (Sr., Everett, Wa.) scored her first goal of the night in the midst of an 8:18 first half span, in which the Falcons hit net four times. The senior forward finished a rebound off a Sarah Martinez (So., Bothell, Wa.) shot that struck the crossbar (21:31). Seattle Pacific went into the locker room at intermission at a 4-0 advantage.

Lienhard struck her second and third goals in the second half, with assistance from Heidi Jacobson (Sr., Kirkland, Wa.) and Shannon Oakes (Fr., Boise, Id.), respectively. The three goals marked the second hat trick of Lienhard’s career.

The Falcons got two goals from Martinez. The sophomore opened match scoring in at 15:28 when she took a deflected shot from the foot of Jacobson, and beat NNU keeper Amanda Merrell to the left corner. Her second came off a left-side cross from Shannon Lovejoy (Sr., Seattle, Wa.)

Jacobson managed a pair of assists and a goal in the match; Martinez and Lienhard were credited with assists (17:28). Katie Taylor (Fr., Vancouver, Wa.) garnered the first assist of her career when she corner-kicked to Carolyn Nason (Jr. Lafayette, Co.) at 23:10.

Merrell registered nine saves in the net for NNU while Jennifer Burns (Fr., Boise, Id.), Katie Ruggles (Jr., Eugene, Or.) and Erin Pierce (Sr., Milwaukie, Or.) combined in goal for two saves for SPU. The Falcons out-shot the Crusaders a lopsided 24-4, and held a 9-0 advantage on corner-kicks.

Seattle Pacific is on the road for its next two matches. It kicks off at Humboldt State Oct. 27, at 1PM.

Scoring: 1) Martinez (Jacobson) 15:28; 2) Jacobson (Martinez, Lienhard) 17:29; 3) Lienhard (unassisted) 21:31; 4) Nason (K. Taylor) 23:10; 5) Lienhard (Jacobson) 45:59; 6) Martinez (Lovejoy) 63:29; 7) Lienhard (Oakes) 66:04.

Shots: SPU 24, NNU 4.

C. Kick: SPU 9, NNU 0.

Saves: SPU 2 (Burns 2, Ruggles, Pierce), Merrell 9.

Fouls: SPU 7, NNU 4.

Cautions: None