• Box score, play-by-play

SEATTLE – They won't learn their postseason fate until Monday afternoon. On Saturday night they performed like a playoff team.

Drew Williams, who usually sets up goals for the Seattle Pacific men's soccer team, scored two of his own, and seniors Alec Nelson and Corey Sinser each had one in the final home game of their careers as the Falcons ended the regular season with a 5-1 victory against Northwest Nazarene.

Freshman Christopher Morris added a goal for the Falcons (11-5-3, 4-3-1 in league play), whose victory at Interbay Stadium clinched third place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings and snapped a three-game losing streak.

It also kept alive SPU's slim playoff possibilities. The Falcons hope Saturday's result helps them vault ahead of two teams as they were listed No. 6 in last week's West Region ratings with only four bids available.

The bracket and pairings for the 32-team NCAA Division II tournament will be announced Nov. 9. The Falcons are vying for their first postseason berth since 2006, and the 31st in their history.

“We'll find out soon enough,” said second-year SPU coach Mark Collings. “Of course we're expecting and wanting to get into the tournament, but if not 11-5-3 is certainly nothing to be ashamed of.”

The Falcons' win total was their highest since a 12-7 record in 2006. Northwest Nazarene wound up 5-11-1 and 0-7-1 in GNAC play.

Sophomore midfielder Tyler Schultz (Scottsdale, Ariz.) started the first scoring play for the Falcons with a cross through the penalty area from the left side. Sophomore Danny Brill (Kent, Wash,./Kentwood HS) headed a shot goalward that was saved by NNU goalkeeper Cesar Lira. But the ball rebounded out to Williams (Bend, Ore.), and he drove it home from the top left corner of the 6-yard box at 8:21.

Freshman midfielder Morris (Mercer Island, Wash./Mercer Island HS) executed some nifty footwork to double SPU's lead to 2-0 at 42:04. Working just outside of the box on the right side, Morris dribbled through traffic before drilling a 14-yard shot into the back left corner. Morris' goal was his second of the season.

Nelson (Lynnwood, Wash./Meadowdale HS) pushed the lead to 3-0 at 61:42 by driving a 30-yard free kick around the left side of a three-man wall and into the left side of the net. It was his sixth goal of the season and the 16th of his career.

“It's definitely my last game here at home, so it was a good way to go out,” said Nelson, one of four SPU seniors who were honored with a pre-game ceremony. “Having Corey come in and score a goal was great. I got a goal and an assist, so that was fun. Jordy (Dettmer) played out of his mind and Enis (Isufi) played very well. It was a good way to finish.”

SPU got two goals just 30 seconds apart late in the game. A shot by Nelson careened off the underside crossbar and came right back out to Williams at the top of the box. Williams let fly with a shot that carried into the back left corner at 74:01.

That gave the sophomore midfielder three goals for the year in addition to his nine assists, which leads the team and ranks No. 2 in the GNAC.

The Falcons quickly regained possession after NNU kicked off, and Sinser (Bellevue, Wash./Eastside Catholic) took the ball down the middle of the field and drove it inside the left post in from 25 yards away at 74:31 for his first goal of the season and fourth of his career.

The Falcons also had two goals that were waved off -- one by Caleb Nyone just five minutes into the game on a foul call, and another by Nelson during the second half on an offside whistle.

“We really played well today. We knocked the ball around really well and created a lot of scoring opportunities,” Collings said. “We ended up with 30 shots and finished five of them with a couple of them called back. We're peaking at the right time I guess.”

Freshman goalkeeper Zach Johnson (Snohomish, Wash./Snohomish HS) needed just one save for the Falcons, who outshot NNU by a commanding 30-4 margin, including 18-1 in the first half.

Johnson flirted with a shutout before teammate Elliot Morton was called for a hand ball in the box, resulting in a Crusaders penalty kick.

Alonso Avila converted the penalty kick at 86:31 for the lone NNU goal. Lira registered six saves for the Crusaders before being replaced in the 75th minute by Mitchell Rice.

The convincing victory was a fitting result for the four Falcons seniors.

“Certainly for the seniors to go out this way was great. Especially for Alec and Jordy to play the way they did was fantastic to see,” said Collings. “It was great for Corey to get a goal because he played well. Enis was typical Enis, with his footwork and ability to hold the ball. All four of them were great.”

Nelson said the departing players were inspired by the Senior Night festivities.

“Tonight we were real sharp, real intense. That might have something to do with the whole ceremony before. It kind of puts a finality on things.

“This was obviously a good way to go out whether it's our last game of the season or not. It's always nice to get a big win.”


NCAA Men's Soccer
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Interbay Stadium/Seattle, Wash.

Seattle Pacific 5, Northwest Nazarene 1

Scoring -- 1, SPU, Drew Williams (Danny Brill), 8:21. 2, SPU, Christopher Morris, 42:04. 3, SPU, Alec Nelson, 61:42. 4, SPU, Williams (Nelson), 74:01. 5, SPU, Corey Sinser, 74:31. 6, NNU, Alonso Avila (PK), 86:31.

Shots – NNU 4, SPU 30.
Saves – NNU 6 (Cesar Lira 6, Mitchell Rice 0), SPU 1 (Zach Johnson).
Corner kicks – NNU 3, SPU 10.
Fouls – NNU 11, SPU 10.
Offsides – NNU 2, SPU 7.
Attendance -- 337.

Records –
Seattle Pacific 11-5-3, 4-3-1 GNAC.
Northwest Nazarene 5-11-1, 0-7-1 GNAC.