Sept. 30, 2010

Box Score

SEATTLE, Wash. - Freshman forward Kristin Maris (Issaquah) scored her first collegiate goal in the 89th minute as Western Washington University nipped nationally ranked and league-leading Seattle Pacific University, 1-0, in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's soccer game Thursday at Interbay Stadium.

The Vikings, who are now unbeaten in their last five regular-season meetings (3-0-2) with Seattle Pacific, improved to 7-1-1 overall and moved into a tie for first-place in the GNAC at 4-1-0 with the Falcons and Montana State Billings.

Seattle Pacific, ranked No.5 in this week's National Soccer Coaches Association of America/NCAA Division II Top 25, suffered its first defeat of the season in falling to 7-1-1. The loss snapped a 45-game home unbeaten streak (42-0-3) for the Falcons,who had not lost at Interbay since a 1-0 setback against Seattle University on Sept. 30, 2006.

"It's incredible and the girls deserve all the credit," said Western coach Travis Connell (8th year, 89-47-13). "They take a lot of pride in this game and they made it happen again."

"This is a good team, too. I feel like we have what it takes, that little something extra that we can find when we need it, and we certainly did tonight."

Maris' game winner from 15 yards found the upper left corner of the net. The ball barely got past SPU goalkeeper Maddie Dickinson, who surrendered just her third goal in 849 minutes this season. Dickinson was credited with four saves.

Credited with an assist was forward Claire Morgan (Sr., Bellingham). It was her league-leading fifth assist of the season and the 24th of her four-year career, two away from the school record.

"Our game plan was to pressure their backs," Connell said. "We did that the entire game, and it paid off in the 89th minute when Claire got the turnover on pressure from her and Kristin, and then Claire played a great little thru ball in behind the defense for Kristin to run on and slot into the left corner for the first goal of her career. That was pretty special for her and special for us."

Seattle Pacific had a 17-11 advantage in shots and a 5-3 edge in corner kicks. Western goalkeeper Jamie Arthurs (So., Richland) made a season-high eight saves in recording her fifth shutout.

"The game was pretty even in the first half with two great teams and defenses playing each other," said Connell. "There weren't any clear-cut scoring chances."

"It opened up a little bit in the second half and Jamie came up big on a number of occasions. We knew going in that she had to have a big game for us to pull out the win, and she certainly did."

In the 35th minute Megan Lindsay blasted a 15-yard shot from a sharp left angle that was parried away by Arthurs.

Lindsay had another chance in the second half. Her powerful header of Kendall Thoreson's corner kick was deflected by Arthurs before the Falcons' Kelsey Jenkins gathered the ball and sent a putback off the right post in the 66th minute.

In the 79th minute, Lindsay broke free on the left side but Arthurs came off her line to smother the attempt.

Prior to their goal, the Vikings best opportunity came in the 70th minute when Justina MacDowell (Jr., Bellevue/Sammamish) found the ball during a goalmouth scramble, but her shot was pushed off the line by Dickinson. Joanna Houplin (Jr., Olympia) collected the carom, but put a shot over the top of the SPU goal.

In the previous four regular-season meetings over the last two years between the two schools, Western tied 1-1 in overtime in its two games at Seattle Pacific, and the Vikings won 1-0 and 3-2 in their two confrontations at Bellingham. Western's 3-2 win in 2009 stopped a 27-game unbeaten streak for SPU and ended a string of 11 shutouts by the Falcons, the fourth-longest in NCAA II history.

Despite Western's success against Seattle Pacific, the Falcons edged the Vikings for the GNAC crown in 2009, earning the automatic berth into the West Regional of the NCAA II National Tournament.

In 2008, Western won the conference title, but lost 1-0 in overtime to the Falcons in the regional final. Seattle Pacific went on to win the national championship.

Western is at Central Washington on Saturday (12 noon) for a GNAC counter.

Western Washington vs. Seattle PacificDate: 09/30/10   Attendance: 405Goals by Period     1  2    TotalWestern Washington  0  1 ---  1Seattle Pacific     0  0 ---  0SCORING SUMMARY:WWU - Maris (Morgan), 88:03Shots: Western Washington 11, Seattle Pacific 17Corner kicks: Western Washington 3, Seattle Pacific 5Fouls: Western Washington 8, Seattle Pacific 8Saves: Western Washington 8 (Arthurs 8), Seattle Pacific 4 (Dickinson 4)