• Boxscore & Play-by-Play

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Blaine Carver's 61st-minute goal helped third-ranked Seattle Pacific stop a three-game winless streak with a 1-0 victory over Western Washington in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's soccer game Saturday at Orca Field.
 
The Falcons (7-1-2) responded to their only loss of the season, a 5-1 setback at Simon Fraser on Thursday, with their third straight win over WWU.
 
“It showed our experience and the kind of leadership we have on this team to be able to bounce back from a tough night the other day,” said SPU coach Mark Collings. “We came right back and got a good win on the road. The conference is so competitive this year that any win we can get on the road is really big for us.”
 
Seattle Pacific, which tied a pair of games last week, got its first win since Sept. 15 and improved to 3-1-2 in league play.
 
The Vikings (4-5-1) saw their GNAC record fall to 2-3-1.
 
Carver (Soldotna, Ak.) netted what proved to be the game-winning score at 60:41, his team-high fourth goal for the Falcons. He re-directed the ball into the WWU goal from close range at the left post off a low cross from freshman Danny Olivas.
 
“Western played a very good game tonight, they played hard,” Collings said. “It was a good, competitive game and we feel fortunate to have been able to put a ball away."
 
Olivas (Phoenix, Ariz.) is now tied for the team lead with three assists. He intercepted a pass and beat a defender to the end line before delivering the cross from the right side for the decisive tally.
 
Senior goalkeeper Zach Johnson (Snohomish, Wash./Snohomish HS) was not called upon to stop a shot in his fourth shutout of the season. WWU did not have a shot directly on goal.
 
“Tonight was really a team effort defensively. From our midfielders to our forwards, the pressure we put on the ball was quite good,” Collings described. “Any time they got the ball we were there pretty quickly to close them down. When they did try to shoot we were there to deny them from getting anything on goal.”
 
Keegan Rogers made one save for the Vikings, who were outshot by an 18-6 margin.
 
The SPU men remain on the road to play Saint Martin's in Lacey, Wash. on Saturday at 3 p.m.

NCAA MEN'S SOCCER
Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012
Orca Field/Bellingham, Wash.
 
(#3) Seattle Pacific 1, at Western Washington 0
 
Scoring – 1, SPU, Blaine Carver (Danny Olivas), 60:41.
 
Shots – SPU 18, WWU 6.
Saves –SPU 0 (Zach Johnson), WWU 2 (Keegan Rogers 1).
Corner kicks – SPU 2, WWU 3.
Offsides – SPU 12, WWU 13.
Attendance – 304.
 
Records:
Seattle Pacific 7-1-2,  3-1-2 GNAC
Western Washington 4-5-1,  2-3-1 GNAC
 
Next Men's Soccer Game:
Seattle Pacific at Saint Martin's
Saturday, Oct. 6, 3:00 p.m., Lacey, Wash.