Seattle Pacific women’s soccer is two games away from the end of their regular season, their final match on Saturday, Nov. 9, against Simon Fraser University.
Women’s soccer won 2-1 against the Central Washington University Wildcats on Thursday, Oct. 31, in Ellensburg, Washington.
Coming off a 2-1 loss to Saint Martin’s University on Oct. 26 and a scoreless tie against Western Oregon University on Oct. 24, the Falcons needed a win with at least two goals to qualify for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference’s championship tournament.
Seattle Pacific started the match with high energy, out-shooting CWU 12-4 in the first half. The Wildcats’ defense fended off four shots from the Falcons, keeping them off the board long enough for CWU to gain the lead 1-0 in the 12th minute. Despite SPU’s eight subsequent shots, no further goals were scored before halftime.
Junior forward Taylor Krueger tied the score 1-1 in the 50th minute off of an assist from junior forward Kayla Wallace. The Falcons gained the lead in the 84th minute when sophomore forward Nora Patterson slid the ball into the corner of the net on a through ball from senior defender Landrey McCann.
Seattle Pacific’s win over CWU officially qualified them for the GNAC Tournament, held at Interbay Soccer Stadium from Thursday, Nov. 14, to Saturday, Nov. 16. This will be the Falcons’ 12th consecutive trip to the championship in program history.
Head Coach Arby Busey said the team was excited to qualify and hopes to continue adding to their success.
“This group has been really good all year. We’ll continue to focus on the things that have brought us success thus far,” Busey said. “Our success is based on the appreciation for each other, and what each individual brings to the group. We have had some really great moments together, and these women want more of those moments.”
The Falcons won 3-1 against the Northwest Nazarene University Nighthawks on Saturday, Nov. 2, in Nampa, Idaho.
Northwest Nazarene was first on the board in the ninth minute. The Falcons responded in the 20th minute when sophomore midfielder Andie Buckley tied the score 1-1 off a corner kick from sophomore defender Ashlynn Valdovinos.
Seattle Pacific pulled ahead 2-1 in the 24th minute when senior midfielder Lauren Snedeker scored a penalty kick. The Falcons defended their lead into halftime, facing three shots from the Nighthawks, two saved by junior goalkeeper Mercedes Cullen.
Krueger received the ball in the 58th minute from Valdovinos on the left sideline with just enough room ahead of NNU’s defense to take the ball toward the middle and fire a shot into the right side of the goal.
Krueger currently leads SPU in goals with six and is tied in the overall GNAC for second. She also leads the team in assists with seven and is tied for first in the GNAC.
“I just try to take advantage of the opportunities I’m given, which is easy when my teammates always set me up well for success,” Krueger said. “We are continuing to build our momentum and prepare for these last two conference games, making sure we can give the tournament our best.”
Seattle Pacific women’s is second in the GNAC standings with a 7-1-4 conference record and a 9-2-5 overall record. Their next match is the team’s final home game at Interbay Stadium against Western Washington University on Thursday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m.
