By james art 
By Vince Zafra
They may be the second-worst team in the conference, but the Saints may have just pulled off the biggest upset of the season.
A 90th-minute strike from midfielder Brianna Yamada was the difference as No. 7 St. Martin’s University stunned No. 2 seed and defending regular season champion Seattle Pacific University with a 2-1 victory away from home at Interbay Stadium in Seattle on Oct. 26. That snapped the Falcons’ 26-game unbeaten streak that began way back in 2022.
With the game tied 1-1 in the dying minutes, Yamada scored his first goal of the season at the crucial moment with a right-footed first-time free kick just outside the penalty area. box to beat Falcons goalkeeper Mercedes Cullen seconds before the final whistle.
In addition to handing the Falcons their first loss in more than two years, the winner from Yamada also gave the Saints their first win against the Seattle-based college football powerhouse. It was also just the second win of the season for the Saints.
It was a deserved victory for the resilient Saints, who kept the attack-oriented hosts quiet for most of the game. Flavia Burrell commanded her field, making nine saves on the Falcons’ ten shots on goal. The only missed shot on goal led to the Falcons’ tying goal in the second period.
The defensive Saints frustrated the Falcons from the first minute. Rose Ivanis and Kailey Silva, the centre-back partnership, contested all attacks and failed to score some shots.
This confidence at the back led to several counter-attack attempts from Ravyn Mummey and Hinata Kojima late in the first half, but the game remained goalless at half-time.
After 55 minutes of containing the Falcon attack, the Saints struck first when Yves Charles received a long pass from Ivanis’ set-piece and finished it off with his first goal of the season, catching the league favorites off guard.
Finding themselves on the back foot, the Falcons increased their attacking pressure, but the Saints never relented. They almost pulled off what they had already done in the reverse fixture earlier in October, holding on Falcons to a scoreless tie at home.
With time running out, the Falcons finally figured out the Saints’ defense in the 87th minute, with Andy Buckley coming off the bench to score the precious equaliser.
But little did they know that their celebrations would be cut short. About two minutes after leveling the scores at 1-1, a free kick was awarded to the Saints near the edge of the box and the rest was history.
The Saints’ surprise win brought a shock to the current standings at the top. The Falcons are now tied with Simon Fraser’s 19 points for the No. 2 seed, but just led in goal difference for the deciding NCAA West Region qualifying spot. Meanwhile, the Saints improved their record to two wins, two draws and six defeats, which equates to eight points.
Speaking of Simon Fraser, the Saints take on the Red Leafs this Thursday, October 31, when the St. Martin’s heroines return home. It starts at 14:00