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     • VIDEO: Kodiac Gamble

SEATTLE – A shrewd, early-season position change by Coach Mark Collings paid dividends in Seattle Pacific's soccer victory Saturday.

Sophomore Kodiac Gamble notched his first collegiate goal in the first half and Richie Evoy scored in the final minute, leading the SPU men to a 2-0 win over Great Northwest Athletic Conference rival Montana State Billings at Interbay Stadium.

The Falcons (3-1-1) won their third straight game and improved to 2-0 in conference play. MSU Billings (2-4-0) remained winless in two league outings.



Gamble started all last season as a defender. He occupied the same spot on the back-line during the first two outings this season, games in which SPU drew a tie and loss.

Collings moved Gamble (Tucson, Ariz.) into the midfield, freeing up a defensive spot for freshman Evan Robicheau (Puyallup, Wash./Puyallup HS). The Falcons have not lost since the current lineup was implemented and those two relocated players teamed up for the decisive goal Saturday.

Gamble opened the scoring at 42:50 from just inside the 6-yard box. Robicheau served a 30-yard free kick toward the left post that Gamble headed into the upper right corner.

"First goal of my career and there's not a better feeling," exclaimed Gamble. "Evan played a ball in, a great ball. I just rose up, it was congestion everywhere, kept my eye on the ball all the way until it hit my head.

"As I came back down and saw it looping over the goalkeeper I thought it would hit the bar, but it snuck underneath it."

Robicheau was credited with his first collegiate assist on the play as the lineup change has seemingly worked out well for both parties.

"I really like the transition. I feel like that's kind of where my passion really comes out in the game," Gamble said of the move from defense. "We do have the freshman Evan filling that spot and he's doing a great job. Playing midfield is somewhere where I guess I'm just having a lot more fun."

The Falcons played with a man advantage for the final 12:48 of the game after MSUB's Blair Stevenson was ejected after receiving his second yellow card.

They capitalized on the extra player with an insurance goal at 89:23. Evoy (Bend, Ore.) ran onto a long through pass from Kyle Smurdon (Sherwood, Ore.) and flipped a 16-yard shot over the goalkeeper that carried under the crossbar.

Junior goalkeeper Zach Johnson (Snohomish, Wash./Snohomish HS) posted his third shutout and saved three shots for SPU. Eoin Hurley had five saves for the Yellowjackets, who were outshot by a 21-7 margin.

Two dangerous SPU shots got past Hurley, but didn't find the back of the net.

A scramble in the Billings box during the 21st minute drew Hurley out. Christopher Morris (Mercer Island, Wash./Mercer Island HS) collected the ball, but his shot to the right of the goal was cleared off the goal line by the Yellowjackets' Thomas Chameraud.

In the 68th minute, Falcons junior defender Jon Pearman (Glendale, Ariz.) intercepted a pass 40 yards out and streaked through several MSUB defenders, setting up a one-on-one with the keeper. His 15-yard shot traveled just wide of the right post.

The SPU men embark on an eight-game road trip, beginning Wednesday in Bismarck, N.D. at the University of Mary. The Falcons don't play again at Interbay Stadium until Oct. 20.


NCAA MEN'S SOCCER
Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011
Interbay Stadium/Seattle, Wash.

Seattle Pacific 2, Montana State Billings 0

Scoring – 1, SPU, Kodiac Gamble (Evan Robicheau), 42:50. 2, SPU, Richie Evoy (Kyle Smurdon), 89:23.

Shots – MSUB 7, SPU 21.
Saves – MSUB 5 (Eoin Hurley), SPU 3 (Zach Johnson).
Corner kicks – MSUB 0, SPU 3.
Fouls – MSUB 21, SPU 21.
Offside – MSUB 0, SPU 5.
Cautions – MSUB 3 (Blair Stevenson 2, Thomas Chameraud), SPU 2 (Dillon Ballard, Jon Pearman).
Ejections – MSUB, Blair Stevenson, 77:12.
Attendance – 319.

Records
Seattle Pacific 3-1-1, 2-0-0
Montana State Billings 2-4-0, 0-2-0

Next game
Seattle Pacific at University of Mary
Wednesday, Sept. 21, 5:00 p.m., Bismarck, N.D.