• Boxscore & Play-by-Play
 
BURNABY, B.C. – Chris Bargholz scored the first two goals during the opening 25 minutes Thursday and Simon Fraser dealt third-ranked Seattle Pacific its first loss of the season with a convincing 5-1 decision in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's soccer game at Terry Fox Field.
 
The Falcons (6-1-2), who opened the season with six straight victories, have two ties and a loss in their last three outings. They dropped to 2-1-2 in league play. SPU had surrendered just six goals combined in its first eight games.
 
Two-time defending GNAC champion Simon Fraser (8-1-0) improved its conference record to 4-1-0. The Clan's five-goal output was the highest against an SPU team since UC San Diego blanked the Falcons 5-0 on Oct. 25, 2008.
 
“Simon Fraser deserves all the credit. We got beat by a better team tonight,” said SPU coach Mark Collings. “They played really well, they wanted it a lot more than we did.”
 
Bargholz chipped a shot over the shoulder of SPU goalkeeper Zach Johnson to open the scoring at 7:21.
 
The Falcons nearly drew even in the 21st minute, but Blaine Carver's header off a Kyle Peterman corner kick caromed off the crossbar.
 
Four minutes later, Bargholz struck again with a six-yard header at 24:07.
 
Justin Wallace was credited with assists on the first two Clan goals. He scored the third, heading in a quick corner kick from Alex Rowley at 28:29.
 
“It's hard when you spot a good team three goals in the first 30 minutes. That's a big hole to dig yourself out of,” Collings said. “They executed what they needed to do and we didn't.”
 
Rowley also served up a cross for the fourth goal, a header by Colby Liston at 39:30.
 
The Falcons lone tally came at 40:54 on a penalty kick by freshman Matt Merchant (Portland, Ore.) after Kyle Smurdon was fouled in the box. That was Merchant's inaugural collegiate goal.
 
The Clan capped the scoring on Jovan Blagojevic's 83rd-minute header.
 
Johnson (Snohomish, Wash./Snohomish HS) made three saves for SPU, which was outshot 23-10.
 
Simon Fraser goalkeeper Jd Blakely also stopped three shots.
 
The SPU men remain on the road to play Western Washington in Bellingham on Saturday at 7 p.m.
 
 
NCAA MEN'S SOCCER
Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012
Terry Fox Field/Burnaby, B.C.
 
at Simon Fraser 5, (#3) Seattle Pacific 1
 
Scoring – 1, SF, Chris Bargholz (Justin Wallace), 7:21; 2, SF, Bargholz (Wallace), 24:07; 3, SF, Wallace (Alex Rowley), 28:29; 4, SF, Colby Liston (Rowley), 39:30; 5, SPU, Matt Merchant (PK), 40:54; 6, SF, Jovan Blagojevic, 82:15.
 
Shots – SPU 10, SF 23.
Saves –SPU 3 (Zach Johnson), SF 3 (Jd Blakeley).
Corner kicks – SPU 5, SF 7.
Offsides – SPU 4, SF 0.
Attendance – 412.
 
Records:
Seattle Pacific 6-1-2,  2-1-2 GNAC
Simon Fraser 8-1-0,  4-1-0 GNAC
 
Next Men's Soccer Game:
Seattle Pacific at Western Washington
Saturday, Sept. 29, 7:00 p.m. PDT, Bellingham, Wash.