SEATTLE (Oct. 19) - Seattle University women’s soccer heads to Utah Valley to close out the 2016 regular season on Friday, October 28. The Western Athletic Conference match is slated for a 7 p.m. start at Clyde Field. The Redhawks, who captured their fourth consecutive WAC regular season title last weekend, will look to go unbeaten in WAC play for the second straight year.
FOLLOW THE REDHAWKS
Friday, Oct. 28 at Utah Valley - 7:00 p.m. (Clyde Field)
Live Stats | | Watch on the WAC Digital Network
ABOUT THE REDHAWKS (11-5-1, 6-0-0 WAC)
• The Redhawks are unbeaten in 23 consecutive WAC regular-season games dating back to a 5-1 win over CSUB on Oct. 12, 2014. They are 20-0-3 during the stretch.
• Seattle U clinched its fourth straight WAC regular season crown with victories over UMKC (3-1 on Oct. 20) and Chicago State (3-0 on Oct. 22).
• Stephanie Spiekerman earned WAC Defensive Player of the Week recognition following her performances in two Redhawk wins last week. The junior anchored the SU defense as it allowed one goal in two home victories.
• Seattle U is fifth in the latest NSCAA West Region Rankings, its highest slotting of the year. The Redhawks jumped from eighth in the previous rankings. The spot is also the highest of any WAC team during the 2016 campaign.
• Forward Karli White has scored a goal in each of her last three outings. The sophomore has five goals this season, including four in her last three contests.
• Mackenzie Curry has started each of the last four matches in net, surrendering just two goals while notching four wins. She is 7-0-0 this season with one solo shutout. The freshman has posted a 0.57 GAA.
• Senior Brie Hooks has scored seven goals for the Redhawks, tallying a team-high 16 points this year. Hooks has four game-winning goals this year, which leads all WAC players.
• Defense has been the key to the game for SU this season as the squad ranks in a tie for first in the WAC in total goals allowed (13) and shutouts (8) and second in goals against average (0.75).
• The Redhawks began this season as the co-favorite to finish atop the Western Athletic Conference standings in a preseason vote of the league’s eight head coaches.
• Three players were also named to the 11-member Preseason All-WAC Team, including sophomore forward Kari White, redshirt sophomore midfielder Isabelle Butterfield and junior defender Stephanie Spiekerman.
• Seattle U went 14-3-3 overall and 8-0-2 in WAC play in 2015, claiming the 2015 regular-season title before falling to UVU in the championship match of the WAC Tournament.
• The Redhawks return six starters from last year’s squad, along with a pair of key players from the 2014 lineup who redshirted last fall and senior transfer Brie Hooks who was the University of Colorado Female Athlete of the Year and an All-Pac-12 Second Team selection in 2014.
ABOUT THE WOLVERINES (9-6-2, 3-2-1 WAC)
Utah Valley is 3-0-1 in its last four matches and sports a 5-1-1 home record in 2016. The Wolverines can finish second, third, or fourth in the WAC, depending on results this weekend. With a win or a tie, UVU would secure a top-three finish in the regular season. Utah Valley is ninth in this week’s NSCAA West Region Rankings, inching up from its tenth-place standing previously.
SERIES HISTORY VS UVU
Seattle U is 10-1-1 all-time against the Wolverines, including a 1-0 win on Oct. 1 at Championship Field. Isabelle Butterfield scored the game-winning goal in the contest. SU won the first eight meetings between the programs. Utah Valley recorded a 2-0 win in the WAC Championship last season, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time.