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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12 –
Saint Martin's at Seattle Pacific
4:30 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium (900), Seattle, Wash.
• LiveStats:  www.sidearmstats.com/spu/msoc
 
A single-game this week completes a five-game homestand for the Seattle Pacific men, who currently reside in second place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference soccer standings. The Falcons (6-1-2, 4-0-2 GNAC) put their undefeated league record on the line Saturday, Oct. 12 against fourth-place Saint Martin's (3-6-1, 3-2-1). Kick-off is 4:30 p.m. at Interbay Stadium as the opener for a doubleheader with the SPU women's soccer team that hosts second-ranked Western Washington at 7 p.m. The Falcons men were victorious in each of its last six encounters with the Saints, including a 5-0 decision in their last meeting on Nov. 3, 2012 in Seattle. Vying for their 33rd NCAA Division II Tournament berth, SPU participated in the playoffs in each of the last two seasons.
 
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 four goals from the run of play in the last 817 minutes. They gave up two penalty kicks during that span. Red-shirt freshman goalkeeper Cody Lang has played all 850 minutes between the posts this season, compiling 29 saves, three shutouts and a 0.74 goals against average. The Falcons defense limited their nine opponents to 94 shots and just 36 attempts directly on goal.
 
Last Week
The SPU men's soccer squad was named the GNAC Team of the Week on Monday. They upset previously top-ranked Simon Fraser 2-1 (Oct. 3) on a 79th-minute goal by Danny Olivas. Davis Karaica scored in the 12th minute, helping SPU deal the Clan's first loss. Bryson Pavel netted the equalizer 50 seconds into the second half of a 1-1 draw with Western Washington (Oct. 5). SPU's Cody Lang had seven saves last week.
 
Throw-Ins
The Falcons are unbeaten in the last eight games, posting six wins and two ties since losing the season opener 1-0 against Chico State (Sept. 7) ... Eleven different Falcons have scored a goal, but just two players (Stephen MacDonald & Bryson Pavel) scored more than once ... All of freshman MacDonald's team-leading three goals were game-winners ... SPU's 0.74 goals against average leads the GNAC and ranks No. 19 nationally ... Taylor Backous scored Sept. 19 at South Dakota Mines on his only shot of the season.
 
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.
 
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 Opponent
Saint Martin's (3-6-1, 3-2-1 GNAC) -- After losing all four non-conference games, the Saints righted the ship and won its first three GNAC contests. Dylan Gaydosh leads the SMU attack with four goals. Goalkeepers JJ Olson and Eric Owen combined for two shutouts and a 1.82 goals against average. The Falcons won the last six meetings, including a 5-3 come-from-behind win on Oct. 6, 2012 in Lacey, Wash. and a 5-0 win on Nov. 3 in Seattle during the last meeting. SPU owns a 9-3 advantage in the all-time series.
 
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 58-29-17 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.
 
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 58-29-17, Collings ranks No. 2 in all-time SPU coaching wins. McCrath was 512-190-87 at SPU.
 
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 hits the road next week for a pair of GNAC games. The Falcons travel to Nampa, Idaho to meet Northwest Nazarene on Oct. 17 at 3:30 p.m. Pacific Time and then play at Montana State Billings on Oct. 19 at noon PDT.