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Homebound. Knee-deep in the heat of summer and still more than a month before the first class bell, the 12th-ranked Seattle Pacific University women’s soccer team takes to the home pitch to kick-off the 2007 season. The Falcons start with a four-game home stand, opening Thursday night (Aug. 23) against Hawaii Hilo. In a rare morning match Monday (Aug. 27), SPU faces Humboldt State. Sonoma State (Aug. 30) and Cal State Stanislaus (Sept. 1) are the other early visitors to Interbay Stadium.

Job One. The first order of business for SPU is taking back the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title. Coach Chuck Sekyra got a vote–actually five altogether–of confidence from his peers, installing Seattle Pacific as the conference favorite over defending champion Seattle University. However, Sekyra and his squad have bigger dreams, not the least of which is returning to the NCAA Division II finals, where they were national runners-up in 2005. The Falcons have made the NCAA tournament each of Sekyra’s four seasons in charge.

Back to basics. There’s good reason to believe SPU can achieve its objectives. Not only are eight starters still in place from a year ago, when the Falcons went to the regional championship game and finished 17-5-0, but Sekyra recruited a class of exceptional ability and added key transfers. The priority is to reestablish defense as the foundation for success. The goals-against average jumped from 0.53 in ‘05 to 0.76 last year. The attack figures be much more potent.

Strong credentials. Headlining the cast of returnees is former All-American Sarah Martinez (Sr., Bothell, Wa./Cedar Park Christian), the school’s No. 2 career scorer. Martinez led the way in points (24) and assists (8) to make the all-region team. Kayla Stiegemeier (So., Rathdrum, Id./Lakeland), scorer of seven goals as a freshman, is likely to run alongside Martinez. Both players are in fine form, said Sekyra. All-region midfielder Kara Hamby (Sr., Spokane, Wa.Mead) and Shannon Oakes (Jr., Boise, Id./Boise) are the incumbents in central midfield with Meredith Teague (Jr., Redmond, Wa./Bellevue Christian) and on Janae Godoy (Jr., Yakima, Wa./West Valley) on the flanks.

Retooling the ‘D.’ Central defense will undoubtedly be retooled with the graduation of both a starting goalkeeper and stopper. All-region centerback Claire Grubbs (Jr., Sterling, Va./Potomac Falls) remains in place, along with Jessica Gerstmann (Sr., Puyallup, Wa./Cascade Christian) and Katie Taylor (Jr., Vancouver, Wa./Colum. River) on the outside. Becca Woods (Fr., Beaverton, Or.) may be the first freshman to earn a starting job, alongside Grubbs in the middle. Jeanne Webster (Sr., Bothell, Wa.) is back from a injury-shortened season and is in contention along with Washington State transfer Alex Butler (Jr., Spokane, Wa./Gonzaga-Prep/Wash. St.). Jesslyn Rahm (So., Eugene, Or./South Eugene), last season’s understudy, will start in goal, with Maddie Dickinson (Fr., Vancouver, Wa./Skyview) her deputy.

Stepping up. With 13 holdovers remaining from the ‘05 team, there’s lots of experience, yet there will be an undercurrent of youth movement. Karen Hosler (Fr., Portland, Or./Sunset) will see lots of action in midfield. Mallorie Gerstmann (Fr., Puyallup, Wa./Cascade Christian) brings speed to the attack, and Sekyra also plans on using Amanda Johnson (Fr., Duvall, Wa./Cedarcrest). On defense, Christa Bitner (Fr., Phoenix, Az./Dobson) will be used at outside back.

A wild card: Still to be determined is the immediate fate of forward Jocelyn Charette (So., Lakewood, Wa./Curtis), a transfer from Tampa. Charette scored 21 goals and was an all-region selection last season when the Spartans advanced the the NCAA semifinals. However, Charette was not released by Tampa and an appeal allowing her to play this season will be heard by the NCAA. Otherwise, she will not see action until ‘08.

Throw-ins. Seeking their fifth GNAC crown in six years, the Falcons were picked ahead of Seattle U. (2 first-place votes) and Western Washington (1). Newcomer Montana State Billings was judged fourth...Defending national champion Metro State (Co.) is No. 1 in the national preseason poll with UC San Diego fifth. Seattle Pacific had been No. 2 to start and No. 14 to finish ‘06...Sekyra’s defense has traditionally been ranked among the national leaders (55 shutouts in four years), but the goals-against average bumped up over 40 percent, from 0.53 to 0.76 last season…The season-opening home stand is the longest of the campaign; the Falcons host three in a row beginning Sept. 8. Altogether, 12 games will be played at Interbay, where Sekyra’s teams have gone 38-2-3…The Falcons scrimmaged twice in the preseason...Tricia Loomis (Sr., Des Moines, Wa./Mount Rainier), a vital reserve up front the past three years, is recovering from knee surgery after being injured in the spring season. She’s expected to miss at least the first half of the season.

Coaching Staff. Chuck Sekyra has guided the Falcons to the NCAA tournament in each of his first four seasons. Sekyra was voted 2005 region coach of the year after taking SPU to the national title game. He is a three-time GNAC coach of the year, and has won three conference championships. Sekyra has played on two NCAA championship teams at Seattle Pacific from 1985-88. He and was assistant men’s coach from 1998-99 and assistant women’s coach at Washington from 2000-02. Goalkeeper coach Kevin Blokker returns for his fifth year on the staff after previously coaching at San Francisco (his alma mater), Wyoming, Fresno State and Kansas. Chalise Baysa, Oregon’s all-time scoring leader, is in her fourth season on the staff. Arby Busey is in his second year. He was Idaho’s head coach from 2002-04 and an assistant at Villanova, his alma mater, in 2005.

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.