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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24 --
U-Mary at Seattle Pacific
4:30 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26 –
South Dakota Mines at Seattle Pacific
7:00 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.

• LiveStats for Both Games:  www.sidearmstats.com/spu/msoc
 
The final two scheduled home games are on tap this week for the Seattle Pacific men's soccer team, which is in the midst of an 11-game undefeated streak. The second-place Falcons (8-1-3, 6-0-3 GNAC) entertain the two newest Great Northwest Athletic Conference members, beginning on Thursday, Oct. 24 when U-Mary (1-9-1, 1-7-1) visits Seattle. SPU won this year's first meeting 1-0 on Sept. 21 in Bismarck, N.D. Kick-off is 4:30 p.m. Thursday as the opener of a soccer doubleheader with the Falcons women, who play Saint Martin's at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Oct. 26 the SPU men close out their home schedule with a 7 p.m. game against South Dakota School of Mines (0-12, 0-9). The Falcons were 2-0 victors on Sept. 19 earlier this year in Rapid City. The Falcons are vying for their 33rd NCAA Division II Tournament berth. They participated in the playoffs in each of the last two seasons.
 
Streaking SPU
The Falcons are undefeated in their last 11 games, having not lost since a 1-0 home setback against Chico State in the Sept. 7 season opener. They have eight wins and three ties in that span, forging the program's longest unbeaten streak since the 2000 team went 12 games without a loss (11-0-1). A pair of wins this week would tie the school-record undefeated streak of 13 games established by the 1987 squad (10-0-3) and matched in 1991 (12-0-1). At 6-0-3, the current Falcons are the only team unbeaten in GNAC play.
 


Senior Salute
Prior to Saturday's game, a brief ceremony will be conducted to honor SPU's trio of seniors. Blaine Carver, Kodiac Gamble and Anthony Mohammed will make their final regular-season home appearances at Interbay Stadium. That three-man class helped the Falcons compile a 43-14-12 record during their four-year collegiate careers and earn NCAA Tournament berths in 2011 and 2012.
 
Ticket Talk
Tickets for SPU soccer games can be purchased on game day at Interbay Stadium (3027 17th Ave. W., Seattle 98119). Ticket windows open one hour prior to kickoff. All seats are general admission and priced at $6 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens. SPU students and staff are admitted free. Groups or teams of 10 or more may qualify for reduced ticket rates by calling (206) 281-2085 in advance.
 
Dynamic Defense
SPU has allowed just nine goals in 1140 minutes this season, just seven of them from the run of play as two were penalty kicks. Red-shirt freshman goalkeeper Cody Lang has played every minute between the posts this season, compiling 39 saves and five shutouts. His 0.71 goals against average leads the GNAC and ranks 21st nationally. The defense limited its 12 opponents to 116 shots and just 48 attempts directly on goal.
 
Throw-Ins
Twelve different Falcons have recorded a goal, led by the four scores of freshman Stephen MacDonald ... Three of MacDonald's team-leading four goals were game-winners ... Sixteen of SPU's 21 goals were scored by underclassmen and just five by juniors and seniors ... Freshman Jordan Kollars is the leading playmaker with five assists.
 
Last Week
The Falcons rebounded from a tough tie to blank Montana State Billings 2-0 on the road Saturday behind goals by Bryson Pavel and Blaine Carver. Goalkeeper Cody Lang got his fifth shutout. On Thursday, Northwest Nazarene scored with 45 seconds left in regulation to force a 2-2 tie. Jordan Thompson, with his first collegiate goal, and Taylor Backous scored for SPU.
 
2013 Preview
Youth will be served this season as 18 underclassmen fill the 25-man roster. Nine freshmen and nine sophomores seek to grow up quickly under the leadership of three seniors and four juniors. The goal is a third consecutive playoff berth. Four starters return from last year's team, including leading scorer Blaine Carver. The All-GNAC forward netted eight goals with a league-leading five game-winning strikes. Carver, Kodiac Gamble and honorable mention All-GNAC pick Anthony Mohammed are the lone seniors. Sophomore forward Ian Adams was an honorable mention all-league performer in 2012.
 
Fastest to Fifty
Mark Collings registered his 50th victory on Oct. 11, 2012 in his 88th game as head coach. That is the fastest to the 50-win mark for any Falcons coach. Legendary SPU coach Cliff McCrath (1970-2007) got his 50th win in game No. 94. At 60-29-18, Collings ranks No. 2 in all-time SPU coaching wins. McCrath was 512-190-87 at SPU.
 
2012 Review
The Falcons compiled an 11-3-5 record in 2012 and competed in the NCAA Division II Tournament for the second straight season. Despite a 1-1 tie against Cal State L.A. in a first-round playoff game, SPU's season was ended by a 5-4 setback in the penalty kick tiebreaker. The Falcons won their first six games in 2012, equaling the best start in school history. SPU posted a 7-3-4 league ledger to place third in the GNAC.
 
This Week's Opponents
South Dakota School of Mines (0-12-0, 0-9-0 GNAC) -- The winless Hardrockers are first-year men's soccer-only members of the GNAC from Rapid City. Michael McGraw's three goals represent half of the team total as SD Mines has been outscored 39-6. Goalkeeper Timothy Tribbett has a 3.25 goals against average while making seven saves per game. SPU won the only previous meeting, a 2-1 decision on Sept. 19 in South Dakota behind goals by Taylor Backous and Stephen MacDonald.
 
University of Mary (1-9-1, 1-7-1 GNAC) -- The Marauders hail from Bismarck, N.D. and are second-year GNAC members, competing in men's soccer only. U-Mary tied first-place Simon Fraser 2-2 last week after beating SD Mines 3-0. Rory Pratt netted three goals to lead the Marauders, who have been outscored 26-9. Goalkeeper Jack West compiled a 2.28 goals against average. The Falcons won the first six meetings in the series before the teams drew 1-1 at U-Mary on Oct. 18, 2012. SPU increased its series lead to 7-0-1 with a 1-0 win on Sept. 21 at U-Mary on Stephen MacDonald's 54th-minute goal.
 
Coach Collings
Fifth-year coach Mark Collings is the third head coach in the 46-year history of Seattle Pacific men's soccer. He has a 60-29-18 record with the Falcons. Collings led SPU to an 11-3-5 record in 2012 and the team's second straight playoff berth. The Falcons matched the best start in school history with six season-opening wins. A 7-3-4 GNAC record put SPU in third place. They tied Cal State L.A. 1-1 in the first round of the playoffs, but lost the penalty-kick tiebreaker 5-4. In 2011, Collings directed SPU to a 14-4-2 record 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
For the fifth straight season, the Seattle Pacific men were projected second in the preseason Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's soccer poll. The conference coaches named three-time defending champion Simon Fraser as this season's frontrunner. The Clan claimed the conference title in 2012 with a 12-1-1 record en route to the national semifinals. They received seven of eight first-place votes and 61 points in the preseason poll. SPU compiled 51 points to edge Northwest Nazarene for second. The Crusaders logged one first-place tally and 50 overall points. "I'm surprised we were picked second. That's setting a lofty goal for our group," Collings said. "We're very young. We lost quite a bit from last year with 10 seniors being gone."
 
Next Week
SPU plays its final four regular-season games on the road. The Falcons visit Western Washington on Oct. 31 at 7:30 p.m. before a top-of-the-table GNAC showdown at Simon Fraser on Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m.