Box Score           • Final Stats      |      • VIDEO: Sean Russell

SEATTLE – They won't get any points for style, but the Falcons will gladly take the three points for a Great Northwest Athletic Conference win.
 
Blaine Carver scored in the 20th minute and Sean Russell added an 87th-minute tally Thursday as the Seattle Pacific men extended their unbeaten streak to 12 games with a 2-0 victory over U-Mary at Interbay Stadium.
 


"It was tough to watch today, but fortunately we scored a couple goals," said SPU coach Mark Collings. "We certainly need to play a lot better than that."
 
The Falcons (9-1-3) have not tasted defeat since a 1-0 season-opening setback against Chico State on Sept. 7. They are one result away from tying the school-record stretch for games without a loss. The 1987 and 1991 SPU teams both had 13-game lossless streaks.
 
The current run of nine wins and three ties is the program's longest stretch without a loss since the 2000 squad went 11-0-1 during a similar 12-game undefeated streak.
 
"Over the course of an 18-game season that is so quick and the season is so compact, you are not going to have your best stuff every night," Collings said. "Teams that win championships and go to postseason can kind of grind their way through a game and still get the result they need to move on.
 
"That's what we did tonight and we did show some maturity in the fact we were able to find a way to break them down and put some balls away."
 
A senior forward, Carver (Soldtona, Ak.) put SPU on the scoreboard at 19:10 with his third goal of the season. He found a loose ball in the center of the box after a kick by teammate Ian Adams and sent it into the top of the Mary goal from seven yards out.
 
Carver scored in each of the last two games after netting just one goal in the season's first 11 games. He led SPU's NCAA Tournament team last year with eight goals.
 
"It's good to get him going. I've been saying all along that the fact that we were having so much success without Blaine scoring goals was kind of surprising," Collings said. "So to start getting him scoring and have another one off the post today as well, is definitely a big lift for us and should help us down the stretch."
 
Russell (Seattle, Wash./Garfield HS) secured the win with a high, eight-yard strike at 86:21 for his second goal of the year. Danny Olivas (Phoenix, Ariz.) set up the insurance tally, beating a defender on the left wing before delivering a low cross across the goalmouth.
 
Red-shirt freshman Cody Lang (Spokane, Wash./Lewis & Clark HS) registered his sixth shutout for the Falcons. He made two saves, including a diving stop at the right post off a 62nd-minute free kick by Aaron Brennan.
 
"We didn't really give up a lot defensively," said Collings. "That's one thing that we've been good at is defending and not allowing our opponents a lot of looks at goals. That was the case tonight."
 
Jack West was not credited with a save for the Marauders, who were outshot by a 17-9 margin.
 
SPU remains the only team undefeated in Great Northwest Athletic Conference games, improving to 7-0-3 in league competition.
 
U-Mary (1-10-1) saw its GNAC record fall to 1-8-1.
 
The Falcons play their last home game on Saturday at 7 p.m. They host South Dakota School of Mines in the final Interbay Stadium playing appearance for SPU seniors Carver, Kodiac Gamble and Anthony Mohammed.
 
 
NCAA MEN'S SOCCER
Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.
 
at Seattle Pacific 2, U-Mary 0
 
Scoring – 1, SPU, Blaine Carver (Ian Adams), 19:10; 2, SPU, Sean Russell (Danny Olivas), 86:21.
 
Shots – UM 9, SPU 17.
Saves – UM 0 (Jack West), SPU 2 (Cody Lang).
Corner Kicks – UM 2, SPU 5.
Fouls – UM 18, SPU 12.
Offsides – UM 2, SPU 2.
 
Records
Seattle Pacific 9-1-3, 7-0-3 GNAC
U-Mary 1-10-1, 1-8-1 GNAC
 
Next SPU Men's Game
South Dakota Mines at Seattle Pacific
Saturday, Oct. 26, 7:00 p.m. PDT
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.