State Colleges Report | Assists statistics affirm team effort by SPU's Teague

Meredith Teague could set a new standard for putting her Seattle Pacific teammates first.

The Falcons (13-0) own the best record in NCAA Division II women's soccer, and Teague finds herself on the verge of breaking a school assists record.

"We are always looking for ways to make our teammates look good," said Teague, a junior who has set up 11 goals from her role in right midfield. "Whatever the game, whatever the situation, our plan is always the same: to play hard and play for one another."

One of four sisters to play in college, Teague compares her SPU squad to a family.

"We care for each other like sisters," said Teague, who played alongside two older sisters at Bellevue Christian and Seattle Pacific. Youngest sister Whitney plays for Northwest Nazarene.

The difference between a good team and a great one can be chemistry. Teague and coach Chuck Sekyra think that togetherness proved vital in reaching the 2005 NCAA II final.

"This is the best group of players we've had," Sekyra said, "and if we outwork every team, we'll get what we're looking for."

One of Teague's primary tasks is feeding balls to a frontline flush with finishers. Forward Sarah Martinez has 14 goals. Janae Godoy and Jocelyn Charette combined to score nine times in the last nine games.

Teague ranks No. 2 nationally in assists and is three from breaking the SPU record. She, in turn, credits others.

"It's forwards making runs and getting open," Teague said.

Also at SPU

Men's soccer: SPU (6-2-5) has 10 goals (seven in first halves) in the past two games. The Falcons had just 12 in the first 11 outings.

Volleyball: Junior libero Torii Mount (Gresham, Ore.), who already holds match and season records, moved to No. 4 in career digs (1.136) for SPU (9-8).

Cross-country: Sophomore Jessica Pixler's (Eastlake of Sammamish) win at Western Washington last week was her third of the year and seventh in 10 career starts.

Seattle U.

Men's soccer: After three wins last week, the Redhawks rose to No. 7 in the national coaches poll and are No. 1 in the coaches Far West regional poll.

Women's soccer: Senior midfielder Ashley Porter (Inglemoor of Kenmore), with 13 assists this year and 47 in her career, is one assist from tying her own GNAC season record and tying SU's career mark, now held by Jamie French.

Washington

Volleyball: Senior outside hitter Stevie Mussie (Puyallup) was UW's nominee for Pac-10 Player of the Week after helping the Huskies sweep Arizona and Arizona State. She led UW in kills and points in both matches, and finished the weekend with 35 kills (5.83 kpg), a .351 hitting percentage, 15 digs (2.50 dpg) and 40 points (6.67 ppg).

Women's soccer: Lesle Gallimore ranks third among all-time conference coaches with 54 career wins in Pac-10 games.

Men's rowing: The varsity eight will compete in three races at this weekend's Oklahoma Regatta. The UW crew rows in a 500-meter sprint, a 4,000-meter head race and a traditional 2,000-meter event.

Washington St.

Women's soccer: WSU posted a 7-1-2 mark in nonconference matches, its best record in school history, bettering the Cougars' 8-2 start in 2000.

Western Washington

Football: Sophomore kicker Josh Lider (Sammamish of Bellevue) has made all eight of his field-goal attempts this season, tying the school record for consecutive FGs by Michael Koenen (now with the Atlanta Falcons) in 2001-02. Lider's four field goals against St. Cloud State on Saturday included the 35-yard game-winner with 21 seconds left. His longest kick is 47 yards.

Volleyball: Senior libero Courtney Schneider (Snohomish) has a school and GNAC career-record dig total of 2,284, which is five short of seventh place in NCAA II.

Men's soccer: Western has won six straight, its longest streak since 2004.

Other colleges

Eastern Washington: Junior midfielder Abby Jensen (Sandpoint, Idaho) has four goals in the past three games and is one away from the school season record of five.

Northwest: Six-foot-8 freshman post Greg Peters is from the island of St. Vincent in the Caribbean and is the seventh of 11 children in his family to attend a college or university.

Pacific Lutheran: Members of the 1955 to 1959 men's basketball teams, PLU's most successful era, plus five individual athletes, will be inducted into PLU's Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday. Also scheduled for induction are Russell Cole, Keith Johnson, Scott McKay, Rachelle (Snowdon) Mulder and Kate (Wheeler) Sheflo.

Sports information directors

contributed to this notebook.