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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1 --
(#24) SPU vs. Saint Martin's
7:00 p.m., Interbay Stadium (900), Seattle, Wash.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3 --
(#24) SPU at Western Washington
7:30 p.m., Orca Field at Whatcom CC, Bellingham, Wash.

The 24th-ranked Seattle Pacific men's soccer team (6-0-3, 0-0-1 GNAC) returns to its regular routine after a strange start to the season. The Falcons resume their two games per week schedule with a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference contests that begin at home on Thursday, Oct. 1 against Saint Martin's (6-5, 1-1 GNAC). Kick-off is 7 p.m. at Interbay Stadium. On Saturday, Oct. 3, SPU travels north to Bellingham for a 7:30 p.m. clash with Western Washington (4-6 1-1 GNAC). That game will be played at Orca Field on the Whatcom CC campus. The Falcons, who opened the season with a frenetic slate of five games in eight days, are coming off a 10-day break from competition. Their last outing featured a miraculous two-goal rally during the final 83 seconds to defeat Mary 2-1 on Sept. 21 in Billings. SPU opened conference play with a 1-1 tie at Montana State Billings on Sept. 19.

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 SPU home soccer games and can be accessed via the internet at:  http://www.sidearmstats.com/spu/msoc

Terrific Turnaround
The SPU men have equaled their win total from the entire 2008 season that finished with a 6-10-3 record. Through nine games a year ago, SPU had a 3-3-3 record and had been outscored 13-10. The Falcons are undefeated nine games into the 2009 season, boasting a 15-5 scoring advantage over their foes.

Return to the Rankings
The Seattle Pacific men's soccer team returned to the national rankings for the first time in two years, receiving a No. 24 listing in the NCAA Division II poll released Tuesday by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) and adidas. The Falcons are ranked for the first time since Sept. 25, 2007 when they were No. 6 before losing consecutive games to drop out of the next poll. “I'm really excited for our group of guys. It's great for our team to have the coaches acknowledge what they've done,” said second-year SPU coach Mark Collings. SPU (6-0-3) is one of nine undefeated teams in the rankings.

Strenuous Schedule
The Falcons have already played two teams listed in the current rankings. They tied No. 7 Sonoma State 1-1 on Aug. 31 and defeated No. 25 Metro State 4-1 on Sept. 12.  In addition to the seven remaining GNAC games, they have three difficult non-conference games left on the schedule. The Falcons visit No. 17 Grand Canyon on Oct. 12 and then travel to Los Angeles for a two-game road trip. SPU plays at No. 2 Cal State L.A. on Oct. 21 before a clash against defending national champion Cal State Dominguez Hills on Oct. 23.

Conference Campaign
Seattle Pacific, which tied for the 2006 Great Northwest Athletic Conference title, is in pursuit of its first outright championship of the nine-year-old conference. 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 their credit.

The Opponents
Saint Martin's (6-5-0, 1-1-0 GNAC) -- The Saints are third-year GNAC members who finished third in the conference standings last season. Nine different players have accounted for the 18 SMU scores, led by the five goals of Xan Nixon. The Falcons won the first three meetings in the series, including a 1-0 decision on Sept. 22, 2008 in Lacey, Wash. The Saints won the most recent encounter, a 3-1 decision on Oct. 10 in Seattle.

Western Washington (4-6-0, 1-1-0 GNAC) -- The defending GNAC champion Vikings are coached for the 11th season by four-year SPU letterman Travis Connell (1991-95). Three of WWU's losses were dealt by nationally ranked opponents. Kellan Brown paces the Western attack with five goals and three assists. The Falcons own a 38-11-5 advantage in the all-time series. WWU won the most recent meeting 3-0 on Nov. 8, 2008 in Bellingham after a 3-1 Falcons victory on Oct. 8 in Seattle.

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 21 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 12-10-6 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.