• Boxscore & Play-by-Play
     • VIDEO: Richie  Evoy    |    • VIDEO: Pre-Game Senior Ceremony
 
SEATTLE – Ten Seattle Pacific seniors were honored during a pregame ceremony. A prolific performance during the game should propel them into the postseason.
 
Seniors Richie Evoy and Kyle Peterman both scored in their final scheduled home game Saturday, as the 22nd-ranked Falcons got all of their goals during the second half of a 5-0 men's soccer triumph over Saint Martin's at Interbay Stadium.
 
Blaine Carver, Kodiac Gamble and Ian Grissom also scored in the final regular-season game. SPU (11-3-4) finished with a 7-3-4 Great Northwest Athletic Conference record.
 


The Falcons will find out their postseason fate on Monday when the 36-team NCAA Division II Tournament field is announced at 4 p.m. via a webcast on NCAA.com. They were seeded No. 3 in the most recent West Region rankings and six teams will receive playoff berths.
 
SPU may get more games at Interbay if they climb one spot in the rankings as the top-two teams in the West Region will host first- and second-round action.
 
“We hope this gives us a lot of momentum going into the playoffs. They saw some balls go in the back of the net, which is a big thing,” said fifth-year SPU coach Mark Collings. “I really like our chances and we look forward to whatever happens. We're going to be excited to be back into the tournament and have an opportunity to play a few more games.”
 
The Falcons advanced to the regional championship game last year.
 
The Saints (3-15-0) completed their season with a 2-12-0 league ledger.
 
The game was scoreless at halftime despite a 14-0 shot advantage for SPU.
 
Just 1:13 into the game, Kyle Smurdon tested SMU goalkeeper Eric Owen. He smashed a ball from the right side of the box that Owen deflected away from the right post.
 
Elliot Morton had two quick chances for SPU. His first was a high shot that Nate Barber cleared from the goal line with a header that nicked the underside of the crossbar on its path away from the goal. Morton retrieved the rebound and delivered another shot that was saved by Owen.
 
The hosts got on the board just 1:01 into the second half when Carver was fouled in the box and Evoy deposited the subsequent penalty kick into the lower right side of the goal. He has converted four penalty kicks in five attempts this season.
 
“Our feeling on the bench was that once we got one, that a second might not be far behind,” Collings said. “Getting one, you could see the team relax a little bit. Getting that early goal right out of halftime really helped our confidence.”
 
Ten minutes later, Carver netted his team-leading eighth goal on a 12-yard shot from the center of the box off a low cross from Christopher Morris at the right flank.
 
Peterman found the back of the net in the 77th minute for his fourth goal followed two minutes later by Gamble's tally. Freshman Ian Grissom capped the scoring at 84:07 with his first collegiate goal.
 
The Falcons compiled a commanding 32-3 shot advantage, forcing Owen to make eight saves. The Saints didn't get off a shot until the 47th minute.
 
SPU senior Zach Johnson made one save en route to his eighth shutout of the season. His career total of 23 ranks fourth among the school's all-time shutout leaders.
 


While Johnson was good in goal, his senior classmates on the field kept his counterpart busy. Seniors accounted for two goals and assisted on two others, including a pass from Morton that set up the final tally.
 
When this senior class enrolled, SPU was coming off a 6-10-3 season and hadn't been to the playoffs since 2006. They proceeded to compile a 46-18-11 record during the last four seasons and are likely bound for the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season.
 
Collings praised his 10-man class of seniors.
 
“They set the standard for our program. They have 46 wins in four years. Any coach in college would be thrilled with that.
 
“More than that, they are just great guys and great students as well. Many of them have been on all-academic teams and a couple of them already have jobs lined up even though they haven't even graduated yet.”

 
NCAA MEN'S SOCCER
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Interbay Stadium/Seattle, Wash.
 
at (#22) Seattle Pacific 5, Saint Martin's 0
 
Scoring – 1, SPU, Richie Evoy (pk), 46:01; 2, SPU, Blaine Carver (Christopher Morris, Matt Merchant), 56:10; 3, SPU, Kyle Peterman (Danny Olivas, Merchant), 76:09; 4, Kodiac Gamble (Ian Adams), 78:06; 5, Ian Grissom (Elliot Morton), 84:07.
 
Shots – SMU 3, SPU 32.
Saves – SMU 9 (Eric Owens 8), SPU 1 (Zach Johnson).
Corner kicks – SMU 1, SPU 7.
Fouls – SMU 8, SPU 11.
Offsides – SMU 1, SPU 6.
 
Records:
Seattle Pacific 11-3-4,  7-3-4 GNAC
Saint Martin's 3-15-0, 2-12-0 GNAC