Box Score           • Final Stats
 
RAPID CITY, S.D. – The Falcons finally netted a first-half goal … barely.
 
Taylor Backous and Stephen MacDonald each netted their first collegiate goal Thursday as the Seattle Pacific men won their Great Northwest Athletic Conference soccer opener with a 2-1 win over South Dakota School of Mines at Sioux Park Stadium.
 
Backous, a junior from Sammamish High School in Bellevue, Wash., opened the scoring with just 17 seconds showing on the first half clock. Junior Jeff Mullen found him in the box for a nifty finish at 44:43. Mullen is a transfer from Grand Canyon University.
 
"We played really good soccer in the first half, moved the ball pretty well and had quite a few opportunities," SPU coach Mark Collings described.
 
"Unfortunately it took until the very end to score. It was a great ball in by Jeff Mullen to Taylor and a really nice, composed finish."
 
That was the first goal the Falcons have scored this season prior to halftime. They compiled four second-half strikes during the first three games to account for all of their goals.
 
Senior Blaine Carver set up the second goal, spinning on a defender before delivering a pass to MacDonald (Phoenix, Ariz.). The Falcons freshman forward found the Hardrockers goal at 68:53.
 
In an unusual twist, both SPU goals were assisted by graduates of Soldotna High School in Soldotna, Alaska. Both Mullen and Carver hail from the tiny town with a population of 4,284.
 
South Dakota cut into the lead at 83:03 on its first goal of the season, scored by Michael McGraw off a pass from Blake Harris. That goal ended SPU's defensive streak at 320 scoreless minutes.
 
Red-shirt freshman goalkeeper Cody Lang (Spokane, Wash./Lewis & Clark HS) stopped three shots for the Falcons.
 
Timothy Tribbett made eight saves for the Hardrockers, who were outshot by an 18-8 margin.
 
South Dakota Mines (0-4) is a first-year, men's-soccer only member of the GNAC.
 
"All in all, getting a win on the road is always important but we certainly need to play better than we did this evening to continue to get results," Collings said.
 
The SPU men remain in the Midwest to play at U-Mary on Saturday at 5 p.m. Pacific Time. The conference game will be played at Community Stadium in Bismarck, N.D.
 
 
NCAA MEN'S SOCCER
Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013
Sioux Park Stadium/Rapid City, S.D.
 
Seattle Pacific 2, at South Dakota Mines 1
 
Scoring – 1, SPU, Taylor Backous (Jeff Mullen), 44:43; 2, SPU, Stephen MacDonald (Blaine Carver), 68:53; 3, SDM, Michael McGraw (Blake Harris), 83:03.
 
Shots – SPU 18, SDSM 8.
Saves –SPU 3 (Cody Lang), SDM 8 (Timothy Tribbett).
Corner Kicks – SPU 10, SDM 0.
Fouls – SPU 3, SDM 4.
Offsides – SPU 0, SDM 0.
 
Records
Seattle Pacific 3-1-0, 1-0-0 GNAC
South Dakota Mines 0-4-0, 0-1-0 GNAC
 
Next SPU Men's Game
Seattle Pacific at U-Mary
Saturday, Sept. 21, 5:00 p.m. PDT
Community Stadium / Bismarck, N.D.