Box score, play-by-play
SEATTLE -- In a game where the offense got most of the attention after erupting for four goals, the Seattle Pacific defense achieved something no other team has done this season.
Drew Williams set up SPU's first three goals on Saturday night -- one by Alec Nelson, one by Elliot Morton and one by Tyler Schultz -- leading the 24th-ranked Falcon men to a 4-1 Great Northwest Athletic Conference soccer victory against Montana State Billings at Interbay Stadium.
“I think we would have given a lot of teams problems tonight. We were pretty sharp and motivated,” said SPU coach Mark Collings, who was so effusive in his praise for the offense that he had to be reminded that the Falcons kept leading GNAC scorer Sam Charles off the scoreboard.
Charles had at least one goal or assist in every previous Yellowjackets game this season and tallied a point in 15 consecutive games dating to last season. He amassed a conference-leading 14 goals, including the goal in a 1-1 tie against SPU in Billings on Sept. 19.
“Today, they had a tough time finding him. Chris Morris in particular did a good job of denying balls into Sam's feet,” Collings said. “It just seemed like every time he got the ball we had numbers around him and made it difficult. He's a good player, I just felt like defensively we did a good job tonight.”
The Falcons faced another dangerous scorer in Monday's 1-0 victory at No. 17 Grand Canyon. They blanked Kyle Ciliento, who entered the game with 15 goals and hat tricks in his previous two games.
Like Monday, SPU didn't use any defensive gimmicks against Charles.
“It's similar to Grand Canyon where we're not going to really change a lot for one particular player because I think it sometimes can disrupt what you are doing too much,” Collings explained. “We were definitely aware of him, but all in all we just continued to do what we have been doing.”
Junior SPU goalkeeper Kaleb Kuehn (Marysville, Wash./Marysville-Pilchuck HS) benefited from the solid defense Saturday. He was not required to make a save.
The only goal Kuehn allowed came on a 19-yard free kick from top of the box on the left side. MSU's Chris Andre curved a brilliant shot over the five-man SPU wall and into the upper right corner at 58:17.
That lone goal was not enough to counter SPU's offensive onslaught.
Williams, a sophomore midfielder from Bend, Ore., keyed the attack. The three assists increased his season total to nine and moved him into the conference lead in that category.
“That's kind of my role, I'm the playmaker on the team,” Williams said. “I take pride in creating goals for people.”
Williams distributed assists for the game-winning goal in each of the last four SPU victories.
“I know how good Drew is and I think all of us that see him day-in and day-out know how good he is,” Collings said. “Drew just has a niche. He finds a rhythm, his vision is so good and he's so unselfish and willing to do whatever it takes. If teams aren't aware of him, he's good enough to pick them apart.”
Senior midfielder Nelson (Lynnwood, Wash./Meadowdale HS) and sophomore defender Morton (Tacoma, Wash./Bellarmine Prep HS) scored less than four minutes apart midway through the first half, Nelson with his fifth goal of the year and Morton with his third.
Sophomore midfielder Schultz (Scottsdale, Ariz.) notched his team-leading seventh score at the midpoint of the second half, his fourth goal in the last three games. Freshman midfielder Richie Evoy (Bend, Ore.) capped the scoring at 83:12 with his fourth goal of the season.
The Falcons (10-2-3, 3-2-1 GNAC), ranked No. 3 in the West Region, bounced back from Thursday's 3-2 loss at Saint Martin's and handed the Yellowjackets (8-3-2, 2-1-2 GNAC) their first conference loss.
“We had a tough game during the week and it was good to come back and totally change our performance,” Williams said. “We had a good work rate which we knew we didn't have earlier in the week. We were able to bounce back and not lose two in a row, which is one of our goals.”
Williams started the play that led to SPU's first goal with a long pass to senior Enis Isufi down the right wing side. Isufi, double-teamed on the sideline, kept the ball in, got around the defenders and sent a long cross into the penalty area. Nelson, from five yards away, one-timed a shot into the upper right side of the net at 22:24.
Williams also set up the Falcons' second goal. He sent a corner kick from the left side across the goalmouth, and Morton ran onto it from the right side, getting his head to a shot from seven yards away that flew into the back left corner at 26:04.
Andre's free kick drew the Yellowjackets within 2-1 with just over 30 minutes left to play.
The Falcons responded, pushing it back to a two-goal margin at 67:37. Williams took a free kick 28 yards up from the goal, and Schultz headed it across the goalmouth and into the far corner.
Evoy finished the scoring when he picked up a loose ball at midfield, flew down the left wing, took it into the box and ripped one into the back right corner from 16 yards away.
“I'm just so impressed with the resiliency of this team and our ability to come back after a poor performance Thursday,” said Collings. “This was a big game and Billings had a lot riding on this. We got back to more of who we are, just trying to outwork teams.
"When we have adversity we have to respond in a positive manner, and we did tonight.”
The Falcons reached the double-digit victory mark for the first season since the 2006 squad finished with a 12-7 record.
Seattle Pacific returns to action Wednesday at No.1-ranked Cal State Los Angeles at 7 p.m. before visiting defending national champion Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday.
NCAA Men's Soccer
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Interbay Stadium/Seattle, Wash.
(#24) Seattle Pacific 4, Montana State Billings 1
Scoring -- 1, SPU, Alec Nelson (Enis Isufi, Drew Williams) 22:24. 2, SPU, Elliot Morton (Williams), 26:04. 3, MSUB, Chris Andre, 58:17. 4, SPU, Tyler Schultz (Williams), 67:37. 5, SPU, Richie Evoy, 83:12.
Shots -- SPU 19, MSUB 6.
Saves -- SPU 0 (Kaleb Kuehn), MSUB 6 (Matt Mitchell 4, Sander Tollefson 2).
Corner kicks -- SPU 8, MSUB 5.
Fouls -- SPU 17, MSUB 17.
Offsides -- SPU 3, MSUB 0.
Attendance -- 173.
Records --
Seattle Pacific 10-2-3, 3-2-1 GNAC.
Montana State Billings 8-3-2, 2-1-2 GNAC.
Next match –
Seattle Pacific at #13 Cal State Los Angeles, Wednesday, Oct 21, 7 p.m.
