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Conference opener. Full of momentum and confidence following a successful first road trip, the No. 6-ranked Seattle Pacific University women’s soccer team opens Great Northwest Athletic Conference play this week before returning to California once more. For their league opener, the Falcons (5-1-0) pay a visit to Western Oregon (4-1-1) Wednesday afternoon (Sept. 13). Next Monday (Sept. 18), SPU make a brief stopover at Cal State San Bernardino (1-3-0) prior to a four-game home stand, which commences Sept. 21 versus Northwest Nazarene.

Return to normalcy. After a couple uncharacteristic performances, Coach Chuck Sekyra saw a return to normalcy as the Falcons wrapped up a three-game trip to northern California by blanking Notre Dame de Namur, 2-0. It was the first shutout in four games. In the previous two outings the defense had allowed four goals.

Title defense starts. Seattle Pacific was a unanimous pick to repeat (make that a five peat) as GNAC champion in the coaches preseason poll and there is no guessing as to why. The Falcons are unbeaten in their last 44 (40-0-4) conference games, dating back to Sept. 25, 2002. It was the third consecutive year that Seattle Pacific was tabbed as the unanimous favorite. Seattle University was picked to finish second. The two teams meet Sept. 30 at Interbay and again Oct. 28.

Teague sets table. Having moved to midfield at season’s outset from her freshman home at defensive back, Meredith Teague (So, Redmond, Wa./Bellevue Christian) showcased some of her playmaking moxie in the win at Notre Dame de Namur. First she served up a 40-yard cross to Sarah Martinez (Jr., Bothell, Wa./Cedar Park Christian) to open the scoring against the Argonauts. Later, Teague threaded a through ball to Kayla Stiegemeier (Fr., Rathdrum, Id./Lakeland) to make it 2-0. Teague is second in GNAC assists with three, and Martinez ranks second in GNAC goals (3) despite missing one game and part of another.

No sweat. Starting keeper Katie Ruggles (Sr., Eugene, Or./South Eugene) had to make a solitary save vs. Notre Dame de Namur as the Falcons’ back line of Carolyn Nason (Sr., Lafayette, Co./Broomfield-Metro State), Katie Taylor (So., Vancouver, Wa./Columbia River), Claire Grubbs (So., Sterling, Va./Potomac Falls) and Jessica Gerstmann (Jr., Puyallup, Wa./Cascade Christian) sucked nearly all of the wind out of the Argonauts’ attack. Team wise, the Falcons rank second behind Seattle U. in the GNAC in goals allowed (5) and goals-against (0.83). SPU has three shutouts on the season and has held opponents to 37 shots while taking 103 tries at the target.

Supporting Roles. Several of Sekyra’s players deserve due credit for facilitating Seattle Pacific’s success on the offensive end as SPU out-shot the Argonauts 14-3. Behind the scenes was starting midfielder Shannon Oakes (So., Boise, Id./Boise), who has stretched opponents with her offensive attacks all season long. She managed just a single attempt at goal in the last game, but is tied for the GNAC lead with 23 shots altogether. Tricia Loomis (Jr., Des Moines, Wa./Mount Rainier) got Sekyra’s nod up front alongside Martinez. Loomis had scored a pair of goals including the game-winner, against Sonoma State to begin last week.

Throw-ins. The GNAC schedule is 10 games, with Humboldt State having departed to the CCAA. After one year as a club program, Saint Martin’s will join the soccer lineup in ’07, along with newcomer Montana State Billings…Martinez leads the GNAC in game-winning goals with three. She is No. 9 in shots and third in overall points with five…Steigemeier is tied for seventh in shots and also is tied for 10th in goals with Kara Hamby (Jr., Spokane, Wa./Mead) and Loomis. Alex Kirk (Fr., Edmonds, Wa./Edmonds-Woodway) has started five matches and Janae Godoy (Fr., Yakima, Wa./West Valley) has played in every match for Sekyra. Julia Kern (Fr., Portland, Or./Jesuit) and Brittany Stewart (Fr., Wilsonville, Or./Wilsonville) played as reserves Thursday as did Tracey Taylor (Fr., Seattle, Wa./Holy Names) and Mollie Taylor (Sr., Westlake Village, Ca./Oaks Christian)…Jeanne Webster (Jr., Bothell, Wa./Bothell) is likely to miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL. Webster started the season opener against Chico State…A day after arriving back from California with the soccer team, Jessica Pixler (Fr., Sammamish, Wa./Eastlake) won the Emerald City Invitational cross country race and helped the Falcons repeat as team champions. Pixler completed the women’s 6000-meter race in 22:31 and was named the GNAC harrier of the week...SPU has outscored opponents 9-1 in the first half.

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 $5 for general admission, with students and senior citizens $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.