• Complete Release (pdf)
     • VIDEO: Coach Mark Collings
 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 –
Chico State at Seattle Pacific
2:00 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium (900), Seattle, Wash.
• LiveStats:  www.sidearmstats.com/spu/msoc
 
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 –
Seattle Pacific at Dixie State
6:30 p.m. PDT (7:30 p.m. MDT), Hansen Stadium (5,500), St. George, Utah
• Video:  http://dixieathletics.com/showcase
• LiveStats:  http://www.sidearmstats.com/dixie/msoc
 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 –
Notre Dame de Namur at Seattle Pacific
7:00 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium (900), Seattle, Wash.
• LiveStats:  www.sidearmstats.com/spu/msoc
 
Three games in an eight-day span kick off the 2013 Seattle Pacific men's soccer season, the sixth under Coach Mark Collings. The Falcons surround two home games around a road contest. SPU starts the season against perennial power Chico State on Saturday, Sept. 7. Kick-off is 2 p.m. at Interbay Stadium where the Falcons entertain Notre Dame de Namur the following Saturday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. On Tuesday, Sept. 10 SPU travels to St. George, Utah for a clash with Dixie State.  The Falcons are vying for their 33rd NCAA Division II Tournament berth. They 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). All seats are general admission and priced at $6 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens. Groups or teams of 10 or more may qualify for reduced ticket rates by calling (206) 281-2085 in advance.
 


Opening Act
Seattle Pacific begins its 46th year of men's soccer competition. The Falcons are undefeated in their last eight season openers (5-0-3). They won 4-2 at Notre Dame de Namur last year after battling Chico State (2011) and Humboldt State (2010) to scoreless home draws in the previous two lid-lifters. SPU has a 31-7-7 record in all-time openers and is 32-7-6 in its initial home games.
 
Quoting Coach Mark Collings
"We're very young. We lost quite a bit from last year with 10 seniors being gone. We're very talented for sure, but it will just be a matter of how quickly younger players can come along and really take on some big roles for us. Over the past couple of years we've played one the toughest schedules in the region and this year isn't any different. We can't wait to see everyone at our home opener against Chico State."
 
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.
 
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 52-28-15, Collings ranks No. 2 in all-time SPU coaching wins. McCrath had a 512-190-87 SPU record.
 
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 52-28-15 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.
 
This Week's Opponents
Chico State (9-3-6 in 2012) -- The Wildcats return nine starters from the team that placed first in the CCAA North Division (8-1-5). The leading returner for Coach Felipe Restrepo is senior defender Mike Janjigian, a second-team all-region honoree in 2012. Goalkeeper Sam Evans (Snoqualmie, Wash./Mt. Si) posted eight shutouts and a 0.88 goals against average last year. The Wildcats play Thursday at Saint Martin's before visiting Seattle. SPU won last year's meeting 3-1 in Chico, Calif. to claim a 19-16-2 series edge.
 
Dixie State (5-11-2 in 2012) -- Tuesday marks Seattle Pacific's first visit to St. George, Utah to meet the Red Storm. The teams met last season in Seattle with the Falcons claiming a 1-0 overtime victory on a 93rd-minute golden goal by Blaine Carver. Coach Danny Ortiz's Dixie squad is a member of the Pacific West Conference. The Red Storm open the season with a Sept. 7 home game against Westminster.
 
Notre Dame de Namur (13-5-1 in 2012) -- The Argonauts, from the Pacific West Conference, registered a 13-5-1 record last season and participated in the NCAA Tournament. Eight starters are back for Coach BJ Noble, including leading scorers Armando Garcia (8 goals/9 assists) and Jonathan Gonzalez (10 goals). Goalkeeper Jay Tsurouka returns after compiling five shutouts and a 1.17 goals against average. SPU owns a 5-1 series lead and won last year's season opener 4-2 in Belmont, Calif.
 
Throw-In
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 the league favorite.