The Seattle Pacific University women's soccer team opens its third season Thursday night, Aug. 28, at Cal State-Los Angeles, the first of three games in Southern California. SPU is coming off a sophomore year in which it went 13-4-2 and won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title.
Next week's game will mark the official debut of new coach Chuck Sekyra. The goal of Sekyra, who replaced Bobby Bruch last spring, is to contend for an NCAA Division II tournament berth.
Aside from Sekyra and a few recruits, the Falcons will field a team of familiar faces. They lost just one starter and four letter-winners from a year ago. Among the returnees are all-GNAC selections Michelle Sanders (junior), Shannon Lovejoy (sophomore) and Megan Lienhard (sophomore). Sanders led the team with 11 goals and the league with 30 points last season. Lovejoy was the co-freshman of the year, and together the threesome accounted for 30 goals and 20 assists.
Other holdovers from the first 11 include defenders Nicole Ruiz (senior), Katie Lim (junior) and Jean Kolb (sophomore) and midfielders Jessica Henson (junior), Sarah Melby (junior) and Michelle Everson (sophomore). Keepers Jennifer Hull (junior) and Erin Pierce (sophomore) virtually split last season in goal.
Whereas Seattle Pacific was an underdog going into its first two seasons, the Falcons are now cast in the role of a favorite. They were picked to finish first in the GNAC, just ahead of Seattle University. SPU went unbeaten in its final 11 games and defeated the Redhawks to take the conference crown in the final game.