SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30 --
Saint Martin's at Seattle Pacific, 7:00 p.m. PST
Interbay Stadium/Seattle, Wash.
LiveStats: www.sidearmstats.com/spu/msoc/index.htm


SEATTLE -- With the conference title and perhaps a playoff berth still possible, Seattle Pacific (8-5-2, 5-1-1 GNAC) plays its final home game on Saturday, Oct. 30. The Falcons have a 7 p.m. clash with defending Great Northwest Athletic Conference champion Saint Martin's (7-8-0, 2-5-0 GNAC) at Interbay Stadium.

That is the nightcap of a doubleheader with the SPU women, who host Saint Martin's at 4 p.m.

Saturday's game marks the final home playing appearance for two SPU seniors, goalkeeper Kaleb Kuehn and midfielder Andy Wolverton. They will be honored with a ceremony prior to the 7 p.m. game.

SPU's current five-game winning streak is its longest in four years, since a seven-game mid-season stretch in 2006.

The Falcons currently reside in second place in the GNAC standings with a 5-1-1 record and 16 points. They are two points behind league-leading Simon Fraser (6-0-0), which has a game in hand and plays Northwest Nazarene Thursday and at Montana State Billings Saturday.

SPU lost a 3-2 overtime decision at home to the Clan on Oct. 6 for its only GNAC setback. While in its first year as an NCAA Division II member, Simon Fraser is still competing in its former affiliation and is ranked No. 1 among NAIA teams.

The Falcons are in pursuit of their first GNAC title since 2006. They placed third last season and second in 2008.


Scouting Seattle Pacific
8-5-2, 5-1-1 GNAC

The Falcons have turned the season around after a difficult, road-heavy early schedule. Half of their eight non-conference opponents are listed in the current national rankings.

The SPU men defeated No. 20 Grand Canyon 3-0 in Seattle (Oct. 14). They lost 3-1 at No. 9 Regis (Sept. 15), 1-0 at No. 13 Chico State and 3-0 at No. 23 Metro State.

SPU was victorious in eight of its last nine outings, outscoring opponents 26-9 during that span.

Sparking the current surge has been junior midfielder Tyler Schultz (Scottsdale, Ariz.) who netted at least one goal in six of the last seven contests. Schultz has a team-high nine goals, one more than his eight-goal total that topped the Falcons in 2009. His nine-goal output is the best by an SPU player since Brent Egbert finished the 2004 season with 13 goals.

Senior Kaleb Kuehn (Marysville, Wash./Marysville-Pilchuck HS) is undefeated in goal since taking over for injured sophomore Zach Johnson. Kuehn won all four of his starts with one shutout and a 0.79 goals against average.

Junior forward Elliot Morton (Tacoma, Wash./Bellarmine Prep) received the GNAC men's soccer Player of the Week award on Monday (Oct. 25). He is the third Falcon to earn the league's weekly honor, joining Tyler Schultz (Oct. 18) and Andy Wolverton (Oct. 4)


Scouting Saint Martin's
7-8-0, 2-5-0 GNAC

The defending GNAC champion Saints lost their last four conference games. Ruben Orozco leads the SMU attack with six goals and four assists. Goalkeeper Zac Lubin has two shutouts and a 1.93 goals against average.

SPU won this season's first matchup 1-0 on Sept. 25 in Lacey, Wash. behind a 73rd-minute goal by Tyler Schultz. That win gave the Falcons a 4-3 edge in the all-time series. The Saints swept last year's games, winning both by matching 3-2 scores.


Next Week

The Seattle Pacific men close out their regular-season slate on the road. They visit league-leading Simon Fraser on Nov. 4 and Western Washington on Nov. 6.

SPU SOCCER TICKETS...

Tickets for SPU soccer games can be purchased on game day at Interbay Stadium (3027 17th Ave. W., Seattle 98119). Ticket windows open one hour prior to kickoff. All seats are general admission and 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 reduced ticket rates by calling (206) 281-2085 in advance.