Box Score | Final Stats | VIDEO: Chaz JenkinsSEATTLE –
Bryson Pavel assisted on the game-winning goal in the first half Thursday and scored one of his own in the second on a brilliant strike that secured seventh-ranked Seattle Pacific's 3-1 victory over Western Washington in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's soccer game at Interbay Stadium.
The first-place Falcons (7-0-1) remained undefeated, improving to 4-0 in league play.
WWU (2-5-1) saw its GNAC record fall to 0-3-1.
A quick re-start freed
Stephen MacDonald behind the WWU defense at 25:25 for the opening goal. After a Vikings foul,
Danny Olivas immediately booted the free kick to his teammate just outside the box. MacDonald dribbled in at the left side and flicked a 12-yard shot that trickled inside the right post for his third goal of the season.
Both MacDonald and Olivas are graduates of Sandra Day O'Connor High School in Phoenix, Ariz.
SPU capitalized on another set piece just over five minutes later for its second score.
Jordan Kollars (Silverdale, Wash./Central Kitsap HS) served a left side corner kick that was flicked on by Pavel to the far post where
Chaz Jenkins (Marysville, Wash./Everett HS) booted it home from six yards at 30:36. That was the first collegiate goal for the sophomore midfielder.
"To get a goal from Chaz is great because of all the work he does in the midfield and doesn't get a lot of credit for it," said SPU coach
Mark Collings. "Our back line and Chaz do so much of the work and it doesn't show up in the stats. So for Chaz and Pavel to get goals is great."
Western cut the deficit to 2-1 before halftime on a low, 16-yard shot by Trevor Bartels that deflected off the hand of diving Falcons goalkeeper
Cody Lang before going into the goal at 41:46. Assisting on the score was Luke Olney, the son of former SPU men's soccer standout Reece Olney.
That was just the third goal allowed this season by the Falcons, and the first from the run of play. The other two opponent scores came via a free kick and a corner kick.
"The first 30 minutes we were really good and probably should have put the game away at that point. We let them back in," Collings explained. "To their credit, they found a way to put the ball in the back of the net and the rest of the half we struggled a little bit.
"In the second half we came out with the right energy and the right game plan. And then Pavel hits the wonder strike and that really deflated them at the point and put us back into control.
Pavel (Boise, Idaho) provided an insurance tally at 70:13. The junior defender's low, 25-yard blast traveled through traffic and just inside the right post for his first goal of the year.
Lang (Spokane, Wash./Lewis & Clark HS) made one save for the Falcons, who were outshot by an 11-9 margin. The hosts had the more dangerous chances as five of their attempts were directly on goal compared to just two for WWU.
Vikings goalkeeper Keegan Rogers stopped two shots.
The SPU men continue their current four-game homestand on Saturday when four-time defending GNAC champion Simon Fraser invades Interbay Stadium for a 7 p.m. game. The Clan advanced to the national semifinals in each of the last two seasons.
"We know Simon Fraser is very good regardless of what their record is," Collings concluded. "We'll stick to what we do and hope that what we do is better than what they do on Saturday."
NCAA MEN'S SOCCERThursday, Oct. 2, 2014Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash. at (#7) Seattle Pacific 3, Western Washington 1 Scoring – 1, SPU,
Stephen MacDonald (
Danny Olivas), 25:25. 2, SPU,
Chaz Jenkins (
Jordan Kollars,
Bryson Pavel), 30:36. 3, WWU, Trevor Bartels (Luke Olney), 41:46. 4, SPU,
Bryson Pavel, 70:13.
Shots – WWU 11, SPU 9.
Saves – WWU 2 (Keegan Rogers), SPU 1 (
Cody Lang).
Corner Kicks – WWU 7, SPU 7.
Fouls – WWU 13, SPU 8.
Offsides – WWU 3, SPU 3.
RecordsSeattle Pacific 7-0-1, 4-0-0 GNAC
Western Washington 2-5-1, 0-3-1 GNAC
Next SPU Men's GameSimon Fraser at Seattle Pacific
Saturday, Oct. 4, 7:00 p.m. PDT
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.
