SEATTLE -- Maybe a couple of goals is all it will take for Ryan Brand.
The Seattle Pacific freshman forward scored his first two of the season -- both from inside the six-yard box -- and junior midfielder Alec Nelson added his team-leading fourth as the Falcons took over first place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's soccer standings on Wednesday night with a 3-1 victory against Western Washington.
Brand (Portland, Ore.) tapped one into the net in the 30th minute and again in the 50th for the Falcons (4-4-3 overall, 3-1-0 with 9 points in the GNAC). Nelson (Lynnwood, Wash., Meadowdale HS) got an insurance tally early in the 88th at Interbay Stadium.
“He needed those,” SPU coach Mark Collings said of Brand's two tallies. “Ryan has been pressing a little bit, so I'm happy for him. Sometimes, scoring goals is a mental thing. Hopefully, this will take the lid off the goal for him and open the floodgate for us.”
SPU had been tied with Montana State Billings for first in the GNAC coming into Wednesday's game. Billings beat the Falcons in Montana last Saturday, 1-0. Western fell to 5-5-2 overall, 1-1-0 with 3 points in the conference.
Junior Enis Isufi (Auburn, Wash.), playing just his second game of the season after missing much of the fall with injury, started the first goal-scoring play when he gained control of the ball from a Western Washington player deep in the right corner.
Isufi sent it to junior Nelson, stationed at the right post, and Nelson sent it across the six-yard box to Brand, who pushed it into an open left side of the net at 29:32.
Junior defender Jordan Detmer (Snohomish, Wash., Snohomish HS) put the second goal-scoring run into motion with a through ball down the right wing. Freshman Tyler Schultz got it near the corner and sent it into the box to freshman Drew Williams (Bend, Ore.), who in turn sent it across Viking goalkeeper Cameron Copps-Tilley's front porch. Brand was wide open to put it into the net.
Western Washington's goal came on a blast from the left side, just outside the penalty area, by Gibson Bardsley at 75:06. That cut the Falcons' lead to 2-1, and the Vikings were pressing for the equalizer.
But Nelson put it away for Seattle Pacific with less than three minutes to play. The ball came out the top right corner of the penalty area, and Nelson launched it off his shoetop. It sailed just inside the left post to the upper part of the goal.
After being outshot by a 7-4 margin during the first half, SPU outshot Western during the second 45 minutes, 6-3.
“The guys knew we needed to make some adjustments,” Collings said. Getting a goal right away in the second half is something we talked about and how important that would be.”
SPU went the first 22 minutes of the game before getting off its first shot, a 25-yarder by Isufi from straight in front that Vikings goalkeeper Copps-Tilley scooped off the ground.
Western had a 7-4 advantage in shots through the first 45 minutes. The most dangerous try for the Vikings was inside the final minute of the half when Matt Pele let loose with a hard shot from the top left corner of the box. It was headed toward the inside of the right post, but goalkeeper Lovelace dove to his left to stop it.
Seattle Pacific is back on the Interbay turf Saturday Friday night at 7 against Saint Martin's. The Falcons opened GNAC play with a 1-0 victory on the road against the Saints on Sept. 22. SPU senior Colin Kosco (Edmonds, Wash., Meadowdale HS) scored the only goal of the game.
The Saints are at the bottom of the conference at the moment, but Collings said no one in the GNAC is to be taken lightly.
“Saint Martin's is very organized. Our conference is tough top to bottom -- there are no nights off,” Collings said. “We knew that coming into the season. Every game is going to be tough.”
NCAA Men's Soccer
Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008
Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
Seattle Pacific 3 Western Washington 1
Scoring - 1, SPU: Ryan Brand (Alec Nelson, Enis Isufi), 29:22; 2, SPU: Brand (Drew Williams, Tyler Schultz), 49:41; 3, WWU: Gibson Bardsley (unassisted), 75:06; 4, SPU: Nelson (Unassisted), 87:06.
Shots - SPU 10, WWU 10.
Saves - SPU (Ben Lovelace) 1, WWU (Cameron Copps-Tilley) 2.
Corner kicks - SPU 2, WWU 7.
Fouls - SPU 16, WWU 8.
Offsides - SPU 2, WWU 3.
Attendance - 317.
Records - Seattle Pacific 4-4-3, 3-1-0 (9 points) GNAC. Western Washington 5-5-2, 1-1-0 (3 points) GNAC.
