SEATTLE (Nov. 5) ­ Backed by its best seeding in four trips to the NCAA Division II tournament, Seattle Pacific University will face Chico State in the first round of the Pacific Regional tournament Thursday at 5 p.m. in San Bernardino, Calif.

Seeded fourth, the Falcons (24-2) were unbeaten champions of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and earned an automatic berth in the 64-team NCAA field. They are ranked 12th nationally and have won 18 straight matches.

Cal State San Bernardino (25-1) is the top seed and host. The Coyotes were ranked sixth in the nation a week ago.

SPU lost first-round matches in 2000, '01 and again last year. Each time it was the lowest seed in the regional tournament.

Seattle Pacific will be facing No. 16 Chico State (20-5) for the first time this season. The Falcons swept the Wildcats at home in '05.

"I feel it will be a competitive match for us," said SPU coach Chris Johnson. "Although we haven't seen Chico, they have many of the same people we played against last season."

In all, three GNAC team made the playoffs. Western Washington, the runner-up, was seeded seventh and Central Washington eighth.

Michigan's Grand Valley State is the defending national champion, and Missouri's Truman State was the No. 1-ranked team entering last week.

Thursday, November 9 -- 1st Round
Match 1: #3 BYU Hawaii (20-0) vs. #6 Cal State L.A. (17-8), Noon
Match 2: #2 UC San Diego (23-2) vs. #7 Western Washington (18-6), 2:30 p.m.
Match 3: #4 Seattle Pacific (24-2) vs. #5 Chico State (20-5), 5 p.m.
Match 4: #1 Cal State San Bernardino (25-1) vs. #8 Central Washington (19-7), 7:30 p.m.

Friday, November 10 -- Regional Semifinals
Match 5: winner match 1 vs. winner match, 2 5 p.m.
Match 6: winner match 3 vs. winner match, 4 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, November 11 -- Regional Final
Match 7: Semifinal winners, 7:30 p.m.