Box Score             • Final Stats     |     • VIDEO: Danny Olivas
 
SEATTLE – His decisive shot took a different path than Danny Olivas planned. But the ball ultimately ended up where he intended … in the back of the net.
 
Olivas netted the game-winning goal with 12 minutes left to play Thursday, lifting the Seattle Pacific men to a 2-1 upset over top-ranked Simon Fraser in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference soccer game at Interbay Stadium.
 


The sophomore midfielder broke a 1-1 tie at 78:01 with a 17-yard shot from a difficult angle on the far left side of the box. His shot caromed off the foot of a defender and carried into the upper right corner for his first goal of the season.
 
"I meant to go far post on the ground, but I hit it with my left foot and it takes a deflection over the goalkeeper into the far post," Olivas described. "That's what happens when you take shots."
 
His coach, Mark Collings agrees and wishes Olivas would shoot more often.
 
"That was a good individual effort from him on the game-winning goal. He's got a great shot. It took a deflection tonight, but we've been encouraging him to shoot the ball more."
 
Olivas (Phoenix, Ariz.) also played a part in SPU's other goal, a 12th-minute strike by red-shirt freshman defender Davis Karaica.
 
The Falcons (6-1-1) vaulted ahead of SFU into first place with a 4-0-1 league ledger. They snapped a four-game losing streak against the Clan, who advanced to the NCAA Division II Final Four in 2012.
 
"Our kids just played so hard and kept believing in themselves and each other. Ultimately it paid off and I'm really proud of them," Collings exclaimed.
 
"We were really fortunate because Simon Fraser is one heck of a soccer team. They are so well coached, technically solid all over the field and physically very imposing."
 
The Clan (8-1) were defeated for the first time this season, falling to 4-1 in GNAC games.
 
Karaica (Snoqualmie, Wash./Mt. Si HS) opened the scoring at 11:30, slipping a quick eight-yard shot inside the right post. Olivas initiated the action with a corner kick from the left side to Matt Merchant who delivered the ball to Karaica from outside the box.
 
Simon Fraser evened the score just over 10 minutes later on a second-effort play by Chris Bargholz. He broke free for close shot at right side of the box that was deflected by SPU goalkeeper Cody Lang. Bargholz fell, but got back on his feet in time to re-direct the rebound into the left side-netting with a 10-yard diving header at 22:01.
 
Lang (Spokane, Wash./Lewis & Clark HS) preserved the win with five saves, including two stellar stops on breakaways during the second half. The red-shirt freshman goalkeeper slid to snuff a point-blank shot by Lucas Ferritto in the 57th minute.
 
In the 75th minute, SFU's Ryan Dhillon broke toward the left post before unleashing a hard shot toward the right side of the goal. Lang stretched out his left leg and deflected the shot wide with his foot.
 
"Cody Lang was fantastic again," Collings said of his keeper, who has three shutouts and a 0.73 goals against average. Lang has surrendered just three goals from the run of play during his last 707 minutes between the posts.
 
Brandon Watson made two saves for the visitors, who outshot SPU 12-10.
 
The first-place Falcons remain at home on Saturday when they host third-place Western Washington at 7 p.m. in Interbay Stadium.
 
 
NCAA MEN'S SOCCER
Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.
 
at Seattle Pacific 2, (#1) Simon Fraser 1
 
Scoring – 1, SPU, Davis Karaica (Danny Olivas, Matt Merchant), 11:30; 2, SF, Chris Bargholz, 22:01; 3, SPU, Danny Olivas, 78:01.
 
Shots – SF 12, SPU 10.
Saves –SF 2 (Brandon Watson ), SPU 5 (Cody Lang).
Corner Kicks – SF 6, SPU 2.
Fouls – SF 24, SPU 11.
Offsides – SF 1, SPU 0.
 
Records
Seattle Pacific 6-1-1, 4-0-1 GNAC
Simon Fraser 8-1-0, 4-1-0 GNAC
 
Next SPU Men's Game
Western Washington at Seattle Pacific
Saturday, Oct. 5, 7:00 p.m. PDT
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.