Anna Schwulst/The Falcon Kara Hamby, senior, strikes the ball past a California State University Los Angeles player in the NCAA Regional Finals, Nov 15. SPU beat CSULA 2-0.

In the Far West Region Championship game, junior midfielder Meredith Teague fell to the ground again and again, but she always stood right up and got her head back in the game.

In this aggressive match against Cal State University Los Angeles (CSULA) on Nov. 15, the Falcons played with determination and focus, just as they had all season, not allowing the physical intensity to get in the way of preserving their thus far perfect record.

The Falcons took out CSULA and the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) before Thanksgiving break, propelling themselves into the NCAA Division II Final Four. These two victories made SPU the Far West Champions and brought them a step closer to becoming the No. 1 Division II team in the U.S.

According to the NCAA bracket, Seattle Pacific University, Tampa, Franklin Pierce and Grand Valley State are the four teams left in the Division II tournament. The Falcons will face Franklin Pierce of New Hampshire on Thursday at 5 p.m. Central Standard Time in Orange Beach, Ala.

Head coach Chuck Sekyra said that the team's departure for the tournament on Monday will give them time to get used to the climate and that the temperatures in that area have recently been in the 60s and 70s.

Teague said that Franklin Pierce has some international players, and sophomore forward Jocelyn Charette mentioned that "they play more possession style." Charette also said that they play with a 4-4-2 lineup, meaning that there are four players in the back, four in the midfield and two forwards up front.

Anna Schwulst/The Falcon Junior Meredith Teague dribbles the ball down the field during the NCAA Regional Finals.

No matter how the opposing teams play their game, Sekyra said that the Falcons will keep training the way they have been all season.

"We want to keep our rhythm," Sekyra said.

Teague attributes their past accomplishments and future achievements to two major factors: "Everyone is out on the field working for each other," she said. Everyone has a strong desire to win, she added.

"I'm just not surprised," Sekyra said of SPU's success. He said that the team has trained very hard, and that has been a huge part of their outstanding season.

"We've been working hard, and I think we deserve to win it all," Charette said.

Teague said that some returning players know what to expect in the tournament since they went in 2005. She believes that experience will help them succeed this year, but she also said those with no experience will have the chance to shine as well.

"I think the younger players will do great," Teague said.

On Nov. 17, SPU faced UIW in the NCAA Division II Quarterfinal game at Interbay Stadium. SPU won 4-0.

Fans packed the stadium as the Falcons took an early lead. Thanks to Charette, SPU had two goals in the first four minutes of the game.

"Janae [Godoy] passed to me inside the box and I shot it first time," she said of her first goal.

Martinez had knocked the ball to Godoy after a throw-in and Godoy was able to control the ball with her thigh. She sent it toward Charette, who placed the ball into the back of the net.

Charette quickly scored another goal, allowing SPU to have a cushion heading into bulk of the game.

Junior Shannon Oakes passed the ball downfield toward the opposing goal, and Charette took a shot toward the left post of the goal. UIW goalie Ashton Caffrey was not able to stop Charette from scoring her early goals.

"Two early goals totally demoralized them," Sekyra said.

Sekyra put in a bunch of younger players into the game with about five minutes to go, giving them the opportunity to show their talent.

Freshman midfielder Karen Hosler assisted on fellow freshman Amanda Johnson's goal. Johnson, a forward, gave SPU this even bigger lead in the 84th minute.

Only a few minutes later, Johnson sent a corner kick into the box. Ali Winje, a freshman, finished the goal by heading in Johnson's corner kick with seconds left on the clock.

"It was really cool to see Ali [Winje] score off of a header," Charette said of her teammate.

Unlike the game against UIW, the first half of the game against CSULA was scoreless. The Falcons finally came through, winning 2-0.

SPU dominated the game as a whole, but it wasn't until senior defender Jessica Gertsmann set up two beautiful goals that they could score.

Before the first goal, Gertsmann had shot the ball into the box from the right corner to Martinez. Martinez controlled the ball, and she dropped it back to Oakes who shot the ball past CSULA goalie Coca Reyna.

Godoy scored the second goal by heading it into the net after Gertsmann drilled the ball off of the upper bar of the goal. CSULA had three shots on goal, but none were able to get past Rahm.

"It's a great feeling and a great accomplishment," Sekyra said of the Falcons' recent wins.

Charette said everyone is healthy and excited to play in the upcoming game. The winners of the semifinal matches will play on Saturday at noon. The game will be shown on television on CSTV, Sekyra said.

Teague said that, at the beginning of the season, the team set a goal to be the number one team in their division.

"It would be great to say we accomplished our goal and check that off the list," she said.