* Boxscore & Play-by-Play

BISMARCK, N.D. – Tyler Schultz scored twice in the second half Wednesday to complete a hat trick as Seattle Pacific started an eight-game road trip with a 5-2 non-conference men's soccer victory over the University of Mary at Bismarck Community Bowl.

The Falcons (4-1-1) won their fourth straight game, outscoring opponents 11-3 during that span. Mary's record dropped to 0-3-2.

A senior forward, Schultz (Scottsdale, Ariz.) had never before recorded a three-goal game as a collegian. The last Falcon to post a hat trick was Blaine Carver, who accomplished the feat in the last meeting with Mary. SPU won that game 8-1 on Oct. 16, 2010 in Seattle.

Schultz made many dangerous early forays toward the Marauders goal and finally found the back of the net at 18:20 with his third shot. He received a through pass from senior Drew Williams (Bend, Ore.) and scored on a low, 9-yard shot.

“I'm certainly not surprised by his explosion tonight,” SPU coach Mark Collings said. “Tyler, the last few games has been the difference in our attack. He's really stepped up his game.

“For him it's all about his work rate, which has been really, really good the past few games. Everybody else has fed off that.”

Sophomore Connor Meppen (Boise, Idaho) notched the second goal at 34:12 with a 25-yard shot into the Mary goal.

Freshman Sean Russell (Seattle/Garfield HS) provided a 3-0 halftime lead with a 20-yard blast after collecting the rebound of teammate Taylor Backous' shot that was knocked away by Mary goalkeeper Michael Frenzel. The goals for Meppen and Russell were their first as Falcons.

Just six games into the 2010 season and seven different players have scored goals for Seattle Pacific and six players have distributed assists.

“There really isn't a big drop-off at all once we sub and that's going to be key for us as we move forward,” Collings said of his talented bench. “Everybody contributed tonight. We got to see a lot of different guys play and we definitely showcased our depth.”

Just 1:15 into the second half Schultz converted a penalty kick, putting SPU in front 4-0. Kyle Roesler answered 39 seconds later, at 46:54, with the Marauders first goal.

Schultz secured the hat trick at 53:25 with a header during a scramble in front of the goalmouth after a corner kick. He increased his team-leading total to five goals this season.

A long Mary throw-in led to Jake Meyer's goal at 65:20 that capped the scoring.

Junior goalkeeper Zach Johnson (Snohomish, Wash./Snohomish HS) stopped two shots for SPU. Frenzel made seven saves for the Marauders, who were outshot by a 19-8 margin.

The Falcons remain in Bismarck to play a neutral-site contest against the University of Sioux Falls on Friday at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time.

After opening the season with five home games, the SPU men don't return to play at Interbay Stadium until October 20, when Mary plays a rematch in Seattle. The Falcons will play in five different states and British Columbia before their next home appearance.

Collings was pleased with the good start to the difficult journey.

“Any time that we can get the guys out on the road, away from home after a long day of travel and perform the way we did is always a positive thing. Now we just need to build on this and keep the momentum going that we built up.”


NCAA MEN'S SOCCER
Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011
Bismarck Community Bowl/Bismarck, N.D.

Seattle Pacific 5, at University of Mary 2

Scoring – 1, SPU, Tyler Schultz (Drew Williams), 18:20. 2, SPU, Connor Meppen, 34:12. 3, SPU, Sean Russell (Taylor Backous), 42:37. 4, SPU, Schultz (PK), 46:15. 5, Mary, Kyle Roesler (Aaron McElwee), 46:54. 6, SPU, Schultz, 53:25. 7, Mary, Jake Meyer (Ryan Buchholz), 65:20.

Shots – SPU 19, Mary 8.
Saves – SPU 2 (Zach Johnson), Mary 7 (Michael Frenzel).
Corner kicks – SPU 4, Mary 2.
Fouls – SPU 12, Mary 14.
Offside – SPU 8, Mary 0.

Records
Seattle Pacific 4-1-1
University of Mary 0-3-2

Next Game
Seattle Pacific vs. Sioux Falls
Friday, Sept. 23; Bismarck, N.D., 1:30 p.m. PDT