Box Score    |     Final Stats

NAMPA, Idaho – The first opposing penalty kick of the season proved punishing for previously undefeated Seattle Pacific.
 
Fredy Razo converted a free shot from the 12-yard spot in the 26th minute Thursday and Northwest Nazarene held on to deal the second-ranked SPU men their first loss, 1-0 at NNU Soccer Field.
 
The first-place Falcons (14-1-1) had their school-record winning streak snapped after 13 consecutive victories. They also had an SPU record 15-game unbeaten streak stopped.
 
"First of all you have to congratulate our guys, they've been on one heck of a run here," said seventh-year SPU coach Mark Collings. "They need to be proud of what they did."
 
Seattle Pacific suffered its initial Great Northwest Athletic Conference setback and moved to 11-1-0 in league play.
 
The SPU men could have clinched the GNAC championship if they avoided a loss Thursday. Instead they were shut out for the first time all season.
 
They still lead the league with a 33-point total that is five better then second-place NNU, and can secure the title with a win in either of their final two outings. A draw in either game would guarantee at least a co-championship and two ties would claim the outright crown.
 
The Crusaders (12-3-1) improved to 9-2-1 in GNAC games. SPU won this season's first encounter by the same 1-0 count, on Oct. 11 in Seattle.

 

A delayed handball call against SPU's Bryson Pavel in the right side of the 18-yard box put Razo on the penalty spot at 25:04. Falcons' goalkeeper Cody Lang dove to his right and slowed the shot, but the ball still had enough momentum to trickle across the goal line for the decisive score. That was the eighth goal of the season for Razo.
 
That one-goal margin held into halftime as the teams each attempted five shots during the opening 45 minutes.
 
SPU increased the pressure, taking the first seven shots of the second half. Four of those came in rapid succession and required saves to prevent them from reaching the Crusaders goal.
 
Sophomore Jordan Thompson (Bellevue, Wash./Newport HS) had a breakaway shot stopped by a sliding NNU defender in the 52nd minute followed 50 seconds later by a Danny Olivas (Phoenix, Ariz.) attempt off a corner kick that was saved by goalkeeper Alfredo Ontiveros.
 
Shots by Pavel (Boise, Idaho) and Jordan Kollars (Silverdale, Wash./Central Kitsap HS), in the 55th and 61st minutes, were also denied by Ontiveros.
 
NNU did not get a shot off after intermission until nearly 29 minutes had expired on the clock.

 

In the 79th minute, senior Sean Russell (Seattle, Wash./Garfield HS) broke free and was taken down by Ontiveros, who drew a yellow card on the play.  SPU was not issued a penalty kick as the referee ruled that the goalkeeper's foul occurred just outside the box.
 
A 10-3 second-half shot advantage was not enough for the Falcons to notch the equalizer. The last attempt came with 1:22 left to play, but Pavel's blast carried wide left of the goal.
 
Leading scorer Stephen MacDonald (Phoenix, Ariz.), who netted six of his nine goals during the last four SPU games, was held without a shot. The sophomore forward received the last two GNAC Offensive Player of the Week awards.
 
Lang (Spokane, Wash./Lewis & Clark HS) stopped three shots for the Falcons.
 
Ontiveros was credited with five saves for the Crusaders, who were outshot by a 15-8 count.
 
The Falcons' drop from the ranks of the undefeated leaves only three teams without a loss among NCAA Division II men's soccer programs.
 
The SPU men remain on the road for a 1 p.m. PDT game on Saturday at Montana State Billings, where they hope to claim the conference crown.
 
"We need to move on and get ready for Saturday to put the best effort we can moving forward," Collings said.
 
"We don't need to change anything. We played great soccer in the second half, we just need to finish a little better and not give up the one good chance that they had."
 
The Falcons have not won an outright men's soccer championship since the GNAC was formed in 2001. They shared the 2006 league title with Seattle University.
 
The regular season concludes at home for SPU on Nov. 8 against Saint Martin's. Kick-off is 7 p.m. at Interbay Stadium.
 
 
NCAA MEN'S SOCCER
Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014
NNU Soccer Field / Nampa, Idaho
 
at Northwest Nazarene 1, (#2) Seattle Pacific 0
 
Scoring – 1, NNU, Fredy Razo (pk), 25:04.
 
Shots – SPU 15, NNU 8.
Saves – SPU 3 (Cody Lang), NNU 5 (Alfredo Ontiveros 4, team 1).
Corner Kicks – SPU 2, NNU 5.
Fouls – SPU 12, NNU 19.
Offsides – SPU 2, NNU 1.
 
Records
Seattle Pacific 14-1-1, 11-1-0 GNAC
Northwest Nazarene 12-3-1, 9-2-1 GNAC
 
Next SPU Men's Game
Seattle Pacific at Montana State Billings
Saturday, Nov. 1, 1:00 p.m. PDT
Yellowjackets Field / Billings, Mont.