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Four on the floor. Seattle Pacific University may have lost four highly-successful starters to graduation yet it’s still commanding respect going into the 2006-07 women’s basketball season. The Falcons are ranked 24th in the preseason coaches poll. They play four of the first five games at home, beginning with the Sodexho Tip-Off Classic this weekend. SPU opens with Portland’s Warner Pacific on Friday night (Nov. 17) and faces Azusa Pacific Saturday afternoon (Nov. 18). On Thanksgiving Eve (Nov. 22), San Francisco State arrives on the Brougham Pavilion doorstep.

Era begins in earnest. And so begins a new era in earnest. A year ago it was the coaching staff which changed. Julie van Beek has a squad which is now acquainted with her system and only five players pre-date her arrival. Van Beek’s 24 wins was the most for any first-year SPU head coach. The Falcons relinquished their three-year hold on the Great Northwest Athletic Conference but came on strong late, advancing to the West Region championship game for the fourth year in a row. In 2005, the Falcons had been the NCAA Division II national runner-up and in ‘04 they made the quarterfinal round. This time around they are picked to finish third in the GNAC, just behind Central Washington and Western Washington. SPU received one first-place vote.

Holiday gauntlet. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, Seattle Pacific must survive a grueling stretch of games against three Div. II powers, plus a Div. I program. It begins at Gonzaga and continues after final exams with No. 5-ranked Chico State and No. 21 UC San Diego, the CCAA favorite. North Dakota, the No. 2 team in the nation, visits SPU Dec. 30. Mistakes will be made, said van Beek, but over the long haul the Falcons should become a better team because of the difficult tests. Conference play begins Jan. 4 versus Central.

Stepping up. True, the top four scorers are gone. But there’s plenty of ammunition remaining. For a catalyst, van Beek has Beth Christensen (Jr., 5-5, Enumclaw, Wa.) at point guard. Christensen was the conference co-leader in assists (4.3) and her shooting percentage jumped over 10 percent. Another part-time starter, Autumn Fielding (Sr., 5-9, Kennewick, Wa.), is among a group of potentially pure shooters. Fielding finished No. 6 in GNAC three-point accuracy (.385) and nearly tripled her scoring average, to 8.2. At center, Kelsey Hill (So., 6-2, Portland, Or./Portland Christian) was effective as an understudy, averaging 5.5 points and 5.4 rebounds. Rachel Strand (Sr., 6-0, Shoreline, Wa./King’s), who has bided her time as a reserve high post for three seasons, is a lock for the starting five. Libby Magnuson (Jr., 5-10, White Bear Lake, Mn./Bradley), a transfer from Bradley, is expected to make an impact, particularly with her toughness and defense.

Going deep. Early on, van Beek expects to play 10-11 women each night. For instant offense and backcourt depth she has a couple bombers in Jackie Hollands (Jr., 5-9, Oregon City, Or.) and Jessie Menkens (Sr., 5-10, Battle Ground, Wa.). Hollands has come back from an injury-riddled season and Menkens connected on 20 treys in her first year. Inside, Lexi Schaar (So., 6-4, Crookston, Mn.) moves up the depth chart after being the No. 3 center as a redshirt freshman. Schaar is the most improved of the returnees. Jessie Christensen (Jr., 5-9, Enumclaw, Wa.) was most improved a year ago and is a solid complimentary player.

Vintage crop. Three of van Beek’s recruits committed prior to the coach’s first game. Center Melissa Reich (Fr., 6-2, Bothell, Wa./Bellevue Christian) was vying for the center job before sustaining a season-ending knee injury two weeks ago in practice. Reich was an early signee last fall, along with Daesha Henderson (Fr., 5-8, Snohomish, Wa./Snohomish) and Megan Hoisington (Fr., 5-11, Bremerton, Wa./Central Kitsap). Reich was the state 1A player of the year, and all three were chosen for the state all-star series. Lisa Cannon (Fr., 6-0, Lewiston, Id./Lewiston) signed in the spring. Cannon missed most of her final two prep seasons due to injuries and has been limited in her preseason activity.

Hail the queen. Scoring queen, All-American and now, officially, a legend. Linda Johnson Cooper has been selected to join the Falcon Legends Hall of Fame. She and the rest of the fifth class of inductees will be honored Feb. 2. Johnson was the program’s first All-American in 1987 and just as importantly was a key figure in the transformation of SPU from also-ran to power. She remains the career scoring leader (1842) and holds a total of five records, and is No. 3 in rebounding and No. 2 in steals.

Signed up. The Falcons landed their first recruit as Skyline High School senior guard Madison Maloney signed a national letter of intent last week. Maloney, an Issaquah resident, was a first team all-Kingco 4A pick as a junior, when she averaged 16.2 points. No other signings are expected until the spring.

Put-backs. Although there were no preseason games per se, van Beek did pit her squad against Boise State, Portland, and Yakima Valley Community College in scrimmages in the last two weeks...For the first time in five years, opponents will find their view of the hoop free of the long-armed Brittney Kroon. As a senior Kroon finished No. 2 in NCAA shot-blocking, averaging 4.1, and she graduated with every school and GNAC record. Other losses were all-region guard Mandy Wood, all-GNAC forward Carli Grant and top defender Jenny Poe...The Falcons have made 10 straight NCAA tournament appearances and 11 overall. SPU was regional champion in 1998, 2004 and 2005...Western Washington, with three D-I transfers to offset the loss of four starters, was pegged as the GNAC favorite and 16th in the WBCA preseason rankings. The Falcons were the preseason pick the last five seasons. Central Washington, which earned two first-place votes, has four returning starters. There will be only nine GNAC members this season but Montana State Billings joins the fold for ‘07-08...The schedule features three tournaments in the first five weeks, including a pair of CCAA/GNAC affairs, in Rohnert Park, Ca., and Las Vegas...CSTV plans to video stream the Feb. 24 home game with Western Washington.

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.