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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 --
(#2) Seattle Pacific at Northwest Nazarene
4:30 p.m. PDT (5:30 pm MDT), NNU Soccer Field, Nampa, Idaho
No Live Game Coverage
 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 --
(#2) Seattle Pacific at Montana State Billings
12:00 p.m. PDT (1 p.m. MDT), Yellowjacket Field, Billings, Mont.
•Webcast & LiveStats:  http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/spu.portal# 
 
One of only eight remaining NCAA Division II men's soccer teams with a perfect record, second-ranked Seattle Pacific takes its show on the road this week. The Falcons (6-0-0, 2-0-0 GNAC) embark on a five-game road trip that begins on Thursday, Sept. 20 at 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time against Northwest Nazarene (2-2-2, 1-0-1). The Crusaders dropped previously sixth-ranked Simon Fraser from the ranks of the undefeated with a 2-1 victory in their last outing. On Saturday, Sept. 22 the SPU men visit Montana State Billings (3-2-0, 0-2-0) for a noon game at Yellowjacket Field. Billings has been a difficult place to visit for the Falcons, who have a 1-2-2 record at MSUB. The SPU men are vying for their 32nd NCAA Division II Tournament berth. They advanced to the West Regional championship game last fall.
 
Fastest Start
With wins in their first six games, the Falcons have equaled the best start in school history. The 1985 and 1991 SPU squads both started 6-0 before both lost in their seventh outing. The 1985 team proceeded to win the third of SPU's five national titles.
 


Ranking Report
Undefeated Seattle Pacific received its highest men's soccer ranking in 18 years with a No. 2 listing in the NCAA Division II poll that was released Sept. 10 by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). The Falcons retained that No. 2 spot, their highest poll position since a No. 1 ranking on Sept. 20, 1994. Current SPU assistant coach Nate Daligcon was a starting midfielder on that top-ranked team. Fifth-year head coach Mark Collings played for the Falcons from 1995-98, but none of the SPU teams he played on climbed as high in the rankings as the current team he is coaching.
 
Throw-In
The SPU men are outscoring opponents 15-5 with a balanced attack that features 10 players who scored at least one goal. The Falcons outshot foes 91-57, including a 43-15 advantage in shots directly on goal.
 
Player of the Week
Senior Christopher Morris, who helped SPU match the best start in school history with three home wins during a six-day span, received the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week award for men's soccer on Monday. Morris registered a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win over U-Mary (Sept. 15). He opened the scoring in the eighth minute and set up the third goal, by Kyle Peterman, in the 73rd. A midfielder from nearby Mercer Island (Wash.) High School, Morris netted his first goal of the season on Sept. 13. His 19th-minute strike proved to be the game-winner in a 2-0 win over Sioux Falls. On Sept. 10, SPU dealt currently No. 10-ranked Grand Canyon a 2-1 defeat.
 
2012 Preview
Eight starters return from the SPU men's soccer team that registered a 14-4-2 record and advanced to the West Regional final of the 2011 NCAA Division II Tournament. Heading the list of returnees are first-team All-America defender Jon Pearman and honorable mention goalkeeper selection Zach Johnson. They anchor a defense that compiled 11 shutouts and surrendered an average of just 0.88 goals per game. The midfield features first-team All-GNAC standout Caleb Nyone. Helping ease the loss of the team's top-three scorers, including All-American Tyler Schultz, is junior forward Blaine Carver along with frontline mates Elliot Morton and Kyle Peterman who were both sidelined last season due to injury.
 
Next Week
The Falcons remain on the road for a Sept. 27 clash at Simon Fraser in Burnaby, B.C. and a Sept. 29 visit to Bellingham for a meeting with Western Washington.
 
This Week's Opponents
Northwest Nazarene (2-2-2, 1-0-1 GNAC) -- The Crusaders tied 1-1 at Western Washington in their GNAC opener before getting a 2-1 road upset of sixth-ranked Simon Fraser. Jon Curry's two goals lead the NNU offense. Goalkeeper Alfredo Ontiveros compiled three shutouts and a 0.93 goals against average. SPU won all 11 previous meetings with Northwest Nazarene, including a pair of 2-0 decisions last season.
 
Montana State Billings (3-2-0, 0-2-0 GNAC) -- The Yellowjackets won their first three games before being swept in two GNAC road contests last week. They lost 2-0 at Simon Fraser and 2-1 at Western Washington. The MSUB offense is paced by the three goals of Legofi Crawford and five assists from Thomas Chameraud. Goalkeeper Eoin Hurley has one shutout and a 1.40 goals against average. SPU won four straight encounters with the Yellowjackets before tying 0-0 in the last meeting on Oct. 13 in Billings. The Falcons, who won last year's first meeting 2-0 in Seattle, own a 9-3-3 lead in the all-time series. The Yellowjackets have a 2-1-2 series lead in Billings games.
 
Coach Collings
Fifth-year coach Mark Collings is the third head coach in the 45-year history of Seattle Pacific men's soccer. He has a 47-25-10 record with the Falcons. Collings directed SPU to a 14-4-2 record in 2011, capped by its first playoff appearance in five years. The Falcons earned the top seed in the West and advanced to the regional championship game. Collings was named the 2010 GNAC Co-Coach of the Year after leading SPU to a 10-6-2 overall record and a second-place league mark of 7-2-1. The Falcons were 11-5-3 in 2009, finishing third with a 4-3-1 league ledger. In his first season, SPU was 6-10-3 with a second-place GNAC finish (4-4) in 2008. Collings replaced Cliff McCrath, who compiled a 512-190-87 mark in 38 seasons (1970-2007). Arnie Aizstrauts was 1-14-1 from 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.
 
GNAC Poll
Coming off their first NCAA men's soccer tournament appearance in five years, the Seattle Pacific Falcons head into the 2012 season as the No. 2 pick for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title in the preseason coaches poll. The Falcons received one first-place vote and 57 points in the polling. Simon Fraser, which has won both league crowns since joining the GNAC two years ago as the first Canadian member of the NCAA, is the favorite to make it three straight. The Clan collected the other seven first-place votes and a total of 62 points. After those two, it's a significant drop to the No. 3 spot, which belongs to Montana State Billings with 44 points.