Box Score    |     Final Stats

BURNABY, B.C. – The Falcons formidable 47-year men's soccer history features teams that compiled five national championships, 33 NCAA Division II Tournament appearances and 587 overall victories.
 
Until Thursday night, just one of those teams had forged a double-digit winning streak.
 
Stephen MacDonald tallied two first-half goals for fourth-ranked Seattle Pacific, which extended its winning streak to a school-record tying 10 games with a 2-1 victory over Simon Fraser at Terry Fox Field.

 

"I'm just so proud of this team. Each day is seems like a different guy is stepping up for us," said seventh-year coach Mark Collings, who was a four-year letterman and captain of SPU's 1998 Final Four squad.
 
"This team has so much fight in them and it's truly a team. They want to do it for themselves, of course, but also for each other. That's what makes it so fun to go out and watch them compete so hard every night."
 
The first-place Falcons (11-0-1) are one of only seven undefeated teams left in the NCAA Division II men's soccer. They stayed perfect in league play with an 8-0-0 record.
 
Already off to the best opening to a season and longest unbeaten start in program history, the current unit can secure the school's longest winning streak with a victory on Saturday night at Western Washington. The Falcons seek their 11th consecutive victory after equaling the record 10-game streak that was established during the 1991 season.
 
The SPU men swept the season series from Simon Fraser (5-4-2), which saw its league record evened at 3-3-2. They defeated the four-time defending GNAC champions and back-to-back national semifinalists 3-1 on Oct. 4 in Seattle.
 
The Falcons had not won both home and away games against SFU since the 2000 season.
 
After the Clan scored 4:29 into Thursday's contest, MacDonald (Phoenix, Ariz.) netted the equalizer in the 16th minute and the go-ahead goal in the 29th.
 
His first multi-score game as a Falcon increased MacDonald's season total to a team-leading five goals.
 
Simon Fraser's fifth-minute, opening goal came on a header to the upper right off a corner kick from the left side by Alex Rowley.
 
"That's certainly not what we had planned on," Collings said. "Credit to them because it was a good set piece and good finish on their part."
 
SPU nearly evened the score four minutes later when Clan goalkeeper Brandon Watson raced out of his box to head away a loose ball. SPU's Matt Merchant retrieved the ball and sent a quick 20-yard shot toward the open goal, but it was cleared off the line by a defender.
 
On the ensuing corner kick, Chaz Jenkins took a shot in traffic that was blocked on the goal line by a Simon Fraser defender.

 

"We had two of them they cleared off the line," Collings explained. "To be honest at that point you start thinking 'Is this going to be one of those nights?' But then Stephen just had a fantastic finish on a great ball in by Ian Adams."
 
The equalizer finally came at 15:51 when Adams sent a through pass into the box. MacDonald raced to the ball and slipped a low, 15-yard shot inside the left post.
 
The game-winner occurred at 28:18, this time off MacDonald's left foot. He gathered a bouncing loose ball near the top of the box and lined a 17-yard shot into the right inside-netting.
 
"Stephen just keeps getting better and that's what's exciting and fun to see. He's really starting to figure some things out and he's a handful," said Collings.
 
"His first touch has been better and he's started taking a little bit off his finishes and placing it a bit more. Stephen is an important piece to our attack, that's for sure."
 
SPU switched goalkeepers at halftime. Sophomore starter Cody Lang (Spokane, Wash./Lewis & Clark HS) had played every minute of every game during his career, 2,858 in total. He was down on the turf for several minutes after a collision in the second minute, but remained in the game through the first half while making one save.

 

Junior Rodney Greiling (Kent, Wash./Kentwood HS) came on at halftime to make his SPU debut in goal. He collected four saves, including back-to-back stops in the 75th minute.
 
Greiling denied a point-blank attempt by Joseph Martin and then collected the follow shot by Callum Powell to preserve the lead.
 
With 1:39 left to play, Powell had another dangerous opportunity. He was alone in the box and delivered a low attempt from the 12-yard spot that was smothered by Greiling on a dive to his right.
 
"I'm really proud of Rodney. Being the backup to a goalkeeper is never a fun job," Collings described. "He comes to training every day and works hard.
 
"He's been waiting for an opportunity and he got it tonight. He came up really big. He did a really great job for us, providing some leadership back there and of course came up with a couple really big saves as well."
 
Watson made six saves for the Clan, who were outshot by a 15-12 margin.
 
The SPU men finish out the two-game road trip on Saturday with their first visit to Harrington Field in Bellingham for a 7 p.m. clash with Western Washington. The Vikings new on-campus venue was dedicated on Sept 27.
 
The Falcons return home next week to host South Dakota School of Mines on Oct 23 and the University on Oct. 25.
 
 
NCAA MEN'S SOCCER
Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014
Terry Fox Field / Burnaby, B.C.
 
(#4) Seattle Pacific 2, at Simon Fraser 1
 
Scoring – 1, SF, Magnus Kristensen (Alex Rowley), 4:29. 2, SPU, Stephen MacDonald (Ian Adams), 15:51. 3, SPU, MacDonald, 28:18.
 
Shots – SPU 15, SF 12.
Saves – SPU 5 (Cody Lang 1, Rodney Greiling 4), SF 6 (Brandon Watson).
Corner Kicks – SPU 3, SF 4.
Fouls – SPU 11, SF 17.
Offsides – SPU 3, SF 1.
 
Records
Seattle Pacific 11-0-1, 8-0-0 GNAC
Simon Fraser 5-4-2, 3-3-2 GNAC
 
Next SPU Men's Game
Seattle Pacific at Western Washington
Saturday, Oct. 18, 7:00 p.m. PDT
Harrington Field / Bellingham, Wash.