SEATTLE – In 2019, Seattle University women's soccer re-established itself as the premier program in the Western Athletic Conference, winning the regular-season and tournament titles before making its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance since 2013.
Coach Julie Woodward, in her 23rd season at SU, won her 300th career game and claimed her fifth WAC regular-season crown and her fifth WAC Tournament title.
The Redhawks won 12 games, including a 6-1-1 mark in WAC games. They beat Utah Valley in double overtime to win the WAC regular-season title. SU followed by winning twice in the WAC Tournament, toppling UVU in overtime in the finals. Seattle U advanced to play at UW in the NCAA Tournament, where it played right with the Huskies in a 1-0 defeat to conclude the season.
Jessie Ray put up nine goals and nine assists on her way to winning WAC Offensive Player of the Year. Rachel Bowler keyed the SU backline, taking home WAC Defensive Player of the Year recognition. Leahi Manthei scored a career-high eight goals to claim All-WAC First Team honors.
After falling to eventual Final Four qualifier Washington State in the season opener, the Redhawks headed to Washington on Aug. 27. The teams played to a scoreless draw, as SU took a point from the Huskies for the first time in 14 all-time meetings. Freshman goalkeeper Madison Waguespack earned the shutout in her first career start, stopping a penalty kick early in the second half to keep UW off the board. Two days later, Ray scored in OT for a 3-2 win over James Madison.
Waguespack continued her strong play, collecting two more shutouts in wins over Portland State and Idaho. On Sept. 13, the Redhawks welcomed third-ranked USC to Championship Field. Woodward faced her daughter, Jalen, a senior on the Trojans. SU matched the national power throughout the game, as Olivia Ovenell and Manthei both scored to tie the match and send it to extra time. USC found the game-winner in OT, but the Redhawks put the WAC on notice that they were a force in 2019.
That same weekend, Kelsey Crosby scored in overtime as the Redhawks won at Portland for the first time in program history.
In conference action, SU began with a 4-1 win at Chicago State to set up a showdown at Kansas City on Oct. 6. The Roos won the WAC regular-season title in 2017 and 2018. Seattle U was the better side for much of the day, and in the 76th minute, Mo Nagel tallied her first career goal for a 1-0 lead. UMKC scored late to force OT, where the teams settled for a draw.
On Oct. 10, the Redhawks blanked CSU Bakersfield, 2-0, lifting Woodward to her 300th career win. In her 23 seasons at SU, Woodward has guided her squad to 22 winning campaigns.
Seattle U rattled off wins over New Mexico State and Grand Canyon before falling at California Baptist on Oct. 24. In the match, Ray scored two goals in 40 seconds, setting a Division I program record for shortest span between goals by one player.
A win over UTRGV on Oct. 26 and a loss by CBU at Kansas City set up a winner-take-all bout with Utah Valley. Needing a win on senior night to claim the WAC regular-season crown, the Redhawks battled the Wolverines for nearly 110 minutes. UVU went up, 1-0, but Manthei leveled the match. After another Wolverine goal, Mikaela Morey scored her first career goal in the 88th minute, forcing overtime at Championship Field. In the 109th minute, Crosby caused a change of possession and centered the ball to Ray, who drew the goalkeeper and dished off to Paige Malm. Malm calmly deposited the ball into the back of the net, lifting SU to the victory with just 18 seconds remaining in. double overtime. It marked the latest goal scored by a WAC player since 2009 (109:42).
In the WAC Tournament, redshirt freshman Lauren Brown came off the bench to score the game's lone goal in a 1-0 win over UTRGV. The win pushed SU to its seventh straight WAC Tournament Championship game, extending their streak that marks the nation's longest.
The Redhawks had to knock off Utah Valley once more to secure their spot in the NCAA Tournament. In another hard-fought match that saw UVU take the lead, SU battled back again, this time on a Manthei goal in the 87th minute that forced overtime. In the 99th minute, Ovenell lobbed a pass to the edge of the 18-yard box, where Ray played it down and smashed a liner into the net, giving Seattle U its fifth WAC Tournament title and sending the Redhawks back to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. Ray won tournament MVP, while Brown, Manthei, and Holly Rothering claimed all-tournament team recognition.
SU drew Washington for the first round of the NCAA Tournament, where the teams squared off in a back-and-forth contest that saw each side earn chances. The defenses ruled the day, though, with UW getting a goal in the second half and hanging on for a 1-0 decision that ended the Redhawks' season.
In 2019, fifteen different Redhawks scored a goal, establishing a Division I program record. Crosby, Rothering, and Kelsey Vogel picked up All-WAC Second Team, while Crosby and Michele Adam were selected WAC All-Freshman Team.
Woodward will need to replace a terrific senior class, as Bowler, Ovenell, Ray, Rothering, Vogel, Mackenzie Curry, and Kate Farnham will all graduate. Manthei, Crosby, Adam, Waguespack, and Gina Leete form a strong foundation of returners for the 2020 season, where the Redhawks will look for a third straight WAC Championship.
Coach Julie Woodward, in her 23rd season at SU, won her 300th career game and claimed her fifth WAC regular-season crown and her fifth WAC Tournament title.
The Redhawks won 12 games, including a 6-1-1 mark in WAC games. They beat Utah Valley in double overtime to win the WAC regular-season title. SU followed by winning twice in the WAC Tournament, toppling UVU in overtime in the finals. Seattle U advanced to play at UW in the NCAA Tournament, where it played right with the Huskies in a 1-0 defeat to conclude the season.
Jessie Ray put up nine goals and nine assists on her way to winning WAC Offensive Player of the Year. Rachel Bowler keyed the SU backline, taking home WAC Defensive Player of the Year recognition. Leahi Manthei scored a career-high eight goals to claim All-WAC First Team honors.
After falling to eventual Final Four qualifier Washington State in the season opener, the Redhawks headed to Washington on Aug. 27. The teams played to a scoreless draw, as SU took a point from the Huskies for the first time in 14 all-time meetings. Freshman goalkeeper Madison Waguespack earned the shutout in her first career start, stopping a penalty kick early in the second half to keep UW off the board. Two days later, Ray scored in OT for a 3-2 win over James Madison.
Waguespack continued her strong play, collecting two more shutouts in wins over Portland State and Idaho. On Sept. 13, the Redhawks welcomed third-ranked USC to Championship Field. Woodward faced her daughter, Jalen, a senior on the Trojans. SU matched the national power throughout the game, as Olivia Ovenell and Manthei both scored to tie the match and send it to extra time. USC found the game-winner in OT, but the Redhawks put the WAC on notice that they were a force in 2019.
That same weekend, Kelsey Crosby scored in overtime as the Redhawks won at Portland for the first time in program history.
In conference action, SU began with a 4-1 win at Chicago State to set up a showdown at Kansas City on Oct. 6. The Roos won the WAC regular-season title in 2017 and 2018. Seattle U was the better side for much of the day, and in the 76th minute, Mo Nagel tallied her first career goal for a 1-0 lead. UMKC scored late to force OT, where the teams settled for a draw.
On Oct. 10, the Redhawks blanked CSU Bakersfield, 2-0, lifting Woodward to her 300th career win. In her 23 seasons at SU, Woodward has guided her squad to 22 winning campaigns.
Seattle U rattled off wins over New Mexico State and Grand Canyon before falling at California Baptist on Oct. 24. In the match, Ray scored two goals in 40 seconds, setting a Division I program record for shortest span between goals by one player.
A win over UTRGV on Oct. 26 and a loss by CBU at Kansas City set up a winner-take-all bout with Utah Valley. Needing a win on senior night to claim the WAC regular-season crown, the Redhawks battled the Wolverines for nearly 110 minutes. UVU went up, 1-0, but Manthei leveled the match. After another Wolverine goal, Mikaela Morey scored her first career goal in the 88th minute, forcing overtime at Championship Field. In the 109th minute, Crosby caused a change of possession and centered the ball to Ray, who drew the goalkeeper and dished off to Paige Malm. Malm calmly deposited the ball into the back of the net, lifting SU to the victory with just 18 seconds remaining in. double overtime. It marked the latest goal scored by a WAC player since 2009 (109:42).
In the WAC Tournament, redshirt freshman Lauren Brown came off the bench to score the game's lone goal in a 1-0 win over UTRGV. The win pushed SU to its seventh straight WAC Tournament Championship game, extending their streak that marks the nation's longest.
The Redhawks had to knock off Utah Valley once more to secure their spot in the NCAA Tournament. In another hard-fought match that saw UVU take the lead, SU battled back again, this time on a Manthei goal in the 87th minute that forced overtime. In the 99th minute, Ovenell lobbed a pass to the edge of the 18-yard box, where Ray played it down and smashed a liner into the net, giving Seattle U its fifth WAC Tournament title and sending the Redhawks back to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. Ray won tournament MVP, while Brown, Manthei, and Holly Rothering claimed all-tournament team recognition.
SU drew Washington for the first round of the NCAA Tournament, where the teams squared off in a back-and-forth contest that saw each side earn chances. The defenses ruled the day, though, with UW getting a goal in the second half and hanging on for a 1-0 decision that ended the Redhawks' season.
In 2019, fifteen different Redhawks scored a goal, establishing a Division I program record. Crosby, Rothering, and Kelsey Vogel picked up All-WAC Second Team, while Crosby and Michele Adam were selected WAC All-Freshman Team.
Woodward will need to replace a terrific senior class, as Bowler, Ovenell, Ray, Rothering, Vogel, Mackenzie Curry, and Kate Farnham will all graduate. Manthei, Crosby, Adam, Waguespack, and Gina Leete form a strong foundation of returners for the 2020 season, where the Redhawks will look for a third straight WAC Championship.