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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29 --
SPU vs. Western Washington
7:00 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium (900), Seattle, Wash.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7 --
SPU vs. Northwest Nazarene
7:00 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium (900), Seattle, Wash.

Two more games. Both at home. A pair of opportunities to impress the NCAA Tournament selection committee and pursue the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title. The Seattle Pacific men's soccer team (10-4-3, 3-2-1 GNAC) closes out the 2009 regular season with a duo of games at Interbay Stadium, beginning Thursday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. against Western Washington (5-11-0, 2-3-0). The Falcons won this year's first meeting 1-0 on Oct. 3 in Bellingham and seek their first season sweep of WWU since 2006. SPU then has a week off before hosting Northwest Nazarene (5-9-1, 0-5-1) on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m.

Conference Campaign
Seattle Pacific, which tied for the 2006 Great Northwest Athletic Conference title, is in the pursuit of its first outright championship of the nine-year-old conference. SPU has a third-place total of 10 points, trailing just two points behind first-place Saint Martin's and one behind Montana State Billings. The Falcons had a 4-4 record last season and were runners-up to league champion Western Washington. They seek to return to the postseason after a two-year absence. SPU has won five NCAA championships, the most recent in 1993, and have a Division II record 30 playoff appearances to its credit.

Ticket Talk
Tickets for SPU soccer games can be purchased in advance or at Interbay Stadium (3027 17th Ave. W., Seattle 98119) on game day. Ticket windows open one hour prior to kickoff. All seats are general admission, priced at $6 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens. SPU students and staff are admitted free. Groups or teams of 10 or more may qualify for special general admission rates by calling (206) 281-2085 in advance.

Follow the Action Live
Live stats will be available during all SPU home soccer games and can be accessed via the internet at:  http://www.sidearmstats.com/spu/msoc

Recent Recap
Last week, the Falcons sustained back-to-back losses for the first time this season. They were swept on a tough two-game trip to southern California. SPU lost a heartbreaking 2-1 game at 10th-ranked Cal State L.A. (Oct. 21) on an own goal with just over one minute to play. Two days later, the Falcons fell 2-0 against defending NCAA Division II champion Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Throw-Ins
Sophomore midfielder Tyler Schultz has eight goals to lead SPU and rank second among GNAC players. Schultz amassed five of his goals during a four-game span from Oct. 12-21 ...  Sophomore midfielder Drew Williams leads the conference with nine assists, including three in SPU's 4-1 win over MSU Billings on Oct. 17 ... The Falcons have outshot opponents by a combined 244-187 tally, including a 102-67 advantage in attempts directly on goal ... Junior goalkeeper Kaleb Kuehn has six shutouts, twice as many as any other goalkeeper in the GNAC. His 1.02 goals against average leads the conference.

Terrific Turnaround
At 10-4-3, the SPU men have their most single-season wins since the 2006 team finished with a 12-7 record. They already have four more victories than last season's squad, which finished at 6-10-3.  Through 17 games a year ago, SPU had a 6-8-3 record and had been outscored 31-21. SPU has outscored foes 28-17 in 17 games this year.

Strenuous Schedule
The Falcons have a 2-1-1 record this season against ranked opponents. They tied then No. 17 Sonoma State 0-0 (Aug. 31), defeated No. 20 Metro State 4-1 (Sept. 12) and No. 17 Grand Canyon 1-0 (Oct. 12) and lost 2-0 at No. 10 Cal State L.A. (Oct. 21). Cal State L.A. was ranked No. 1 earlier in the season.

This Week's Opponent
Western Washington (5-11-0, 2-3-0 GNAC) -- The defending GNAC champion Vikings are coached for the 11th season by four-year SPU letterman Travis Connell (1991-95). WWU lost is last three games, including a 2-0 defeat on Monday at Simon Fraser. Kellan Brown paces the Western attack with seven goals and four assists. The Falcons own a 39-11-5 advantage in the all-time series. SPU won this season's first meeting, a 1-0 decision on Oct. 3 in Bellingham. Senior Enis Isufi netted the game-winner in the 14th minute.

Return to the Rankings
The Seattle Pacific men's soccer team returned to the national poll Sept. 29 for the first time in two years, receiving a No. 25 ranking. They rose as high as No. 22 and remained in the rankings for four weeks before dropping out Oct. 27. The Falcons were ranked for the first time in the NCAA Division II poll released by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) and adidas since Sept. 25, 2007 when they were No. 6 before losing consecutive games to drop out of the next poll.

Youth Movement
Seattle Pacific's success has come despite fielding an inexperienced lineup that includes four freshmen and three sophomores among the primary starting 11. The 26-man roster includes 20 underclassmen, including 11 freshmen and nine sophomores. Just five of the 20 players who started at least one game this season are upperclassmen.

Coach Collings
Second-year coach Mark Collings is the third head coach in the 42-year history of Seattle Pacific men's soccer. He has a 16-14-6 record with the Falcons. Collings registered a 6-10-3 record in his first season, directing the team to a second-place GNAC finish (4-4) in 2008. He replaced Cliff McCrath, who compiled a 512-190-87 mark in 38 seasons (1970-2007). Arnie Aizstrauts was 1-14-1(1968-69). The co-captain of SPU's 1998 Final Four team, Collings was a five-year assistant coach. He avoided a first-year Falcon curse as his predecessors were winless in their inaugural seasons.

2009 Preview
Eight starters return for Seattle Pacific, including senior midfielder Alec Nelson (Lynnwood, Wash./Meadowdale) who is the team's leading returning scorer with five goals and three assists. The other returning starters are sophomore forward Ryan Brand, senior defender Jordan Dettmer, junior midfielder Andy Wolverton, sophomore defenders Elliot Morton and Griffin Fahling and sophomore midfielders Tyler Schultz and Drew Williams.  Nelson and Morton were first-team 2008 All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference selections, Williams was a second-team pick and Brand and Schulz were honorable mention honorees. The youthful 26-player roster includes 20 underclassmen, including a standout recruiting class of nine incoming freshmen.

2008 Review
Seattle Pacific completed the 2008 season with a 6-10-3 record, placing second in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings with a 4-4 mark. Less than half of the players on the roster had ever played a game for SPU before the 2008 season, including 10 freshmen. Six freshmen were regular starters as just four starters returned from the previous year. The Falcons bids for the GNAC title and a winning season were derailed by a late-season skid with losses in six of their last eight outings. SPU must fill the void left by departed senior starters, defender Colin Kosco, midfielder Wyatt Seddon-Johnstone and goalkeeper Ben Lovelace.