SEATTLE -- If this was the last game -- at least for a while -- in the long and storied men's soccer series between city rivals Seattle Pacific and Seattle University, it was the Redhawks who had the last word.

Seattle U scored three goals in the first 35 minutes on Tuesday night and went on to a 3-1 victory against the Falcons at Interbay Stadium.

“Any time you give up a goal early in the game, you dig yourself a hole,” Falcons coach Mark Collings said. “But even after that early goal, I thought we were right there. But then we gave up a second one and a third one, and it's hard to climb out.”

The game was the 67^th between the two schools, who have seven national championships between them (five for SPU, two for SU). The Falcons still own a 36-21-10 all-time advantage in the series that started in 1968.

But with Seattle U making the transition to Division I after several years as Seattle Pacific's rival at the D-II level, it's uncertain when or if the teams will be able to meet again.

“We don't know what we'll do (about continuing the series),” Collings said. “With them going to Division I, we need play games that are countable for both of us.”

The Redhawks (7-3-1) quickly took the lead on the Falcons (4-6-3). In the sixth minute, Sean Morris sent a ball deep into the left corner, where Andrew Kreiter chased it down and crossed a target into the box. Kyle Peterman, playing just inside the center of SPU goalkeeper Ben Lovelace's six-yard box, sent a diving header into the back right corner at the 5:22 mark.

That was Peterman's fourth goal of the season.

SU made it 2-0 at 29:52 when Morris uncorked a 25-yard free kick from a sharp angle to the left of the box, parking the ball into the upper right corner for his second goal of the year.

Then, after Seattle Pacific had one of its best tries denied -- a run into the box by freshman forward Ryan Brand (Portland, Ore.), whose ensuing shot was scooped in by Redhawks goalkeeper Emerson DeOliveira --Seattle U struck again.

This time, Kreiter came downfield on a counterattack, flew untouched toward the top of the box and let fly with one from 25 yard away that he buried in the back right corner for a 3-0 lead at 34:05. Kreiter's tally was his third of the year.

The Falcons finally got on the board at 71:54. Freshman defender Elliot Morton (Tacoma, Wash., Bellarmine Prep HS) sent a long ball into the box. It found junior midfielder Enis Isufi (Auburn, Wash., Peninsula CC) at the left post, and he hammered it in from no more than a yard in front. The goal was the first of the year for Isufi, playing just his fourth game after an injury sidelined him for most of the first portion of the season.

“I thought we had the better run of play in the second half,” Collings said. “We created quite a few chances and forced their goalkeeper to make a few saves. I was happy the way we responded in the second half.”

SPU had a near-miss as the first half wound down. Junior midfielder Alec Nelson (Lynnwood, Wash., Meadowdale HS) was wide open at the top left corner of the box, but his shot was saved at the right post by DeOliveira.

Seattle Pacific is off for the rest of the week, then returns to Great Northwest Athletic Conference action against Northwest Nazarene next Monday in Nampa, Idaho. That will be the first of three straight road games before the Falcons return to Interbay to take on Cal State Los Angeles on Nov. 1 at 4:30 p.m. on Neil Callahan Night.

“Northwest Nazarene is a big game,” said Collings, whose team will take a 3-2-1 conference record to Idaho. “We still control our own destiny as far as the conference championship goes. I told the guys we need to win Monday and need to get things back on track.”