Box Score     |     Final Stats     |     VIDEO: Matt Merchant

SEATTLE – Matt Merchant scored the lone goal in the 15th minute Monday as the Seattle Pacific men completed non-conference play with a 1-0 men's soccer victory over Cal State East Bay at Interbay Stadium.
 
The Falcons (3-0-1) bring an undefeated record into Saturday's Great Northwest Athletic Conference opener at Saint Martin's.
 
"To finish the non-conference without a loss is huge," said seventh-year SPU coach Mark Collings. "We're very happy about that and pleased with how hard guys are competing. Certainly we're not a finished product, but we're happy to start the year 3-0-1."
 


East Bay (1-2-1) finished with a split on its Northwest road trip after notching a 2-1 double-overtime decision at Western Washington on Saturday.
 
SPU's Sean Russell flicked a pass to his teammate streaking down the center of the field. Merchant (Portland, Ore.) gathered the ball and drove goalward before slipping a shot to the right side of the onrushing goalkeeper at 14:28. That was the first score of the season for the junior midfielder.
 
"There was a long ball and I made a run behind," Merchant described. "Sean Russell flicked it on. I looked up and it was just me and the 'keeper and I put it by him.
 
"I had a little bit of time to pick a spot and there was a pretty big goal for me to aim at. I just hit it a little bit to his left, my right, and it went in."
 
Coach Collings was delighted to see Merchant finally find the back of the net.
 
"Matt has been really unlucky so far. He probably could have four or five goals by now and that's not a discredit to him. It's a credit to him for getting into the right spots.
 
"I'm really, really happy that he was able to finish today and hopefully that gets him going."
 
The assist on the game-winner, along with the two goals he scored in Saturday's 2-0 home win over Notre Dame de Namur, moved Russell (Seattle, Wash./Garfield HS) into the team lead with five total points.
 
The Falcons' Cody Lang (Spokane, Wash./Lewis & Clark HS) needed just one save to post his third shutout. The sophomore goalkeeper has surrendered one goal in 380 minutes this season.
 
Lang and the stingy defense deserves most of the credit for the undefeated record according to Collings.
 
"Defensively, these first four games we have been really good. It's hard to score goals early, late, no matter when it is. Our defense has been carrying us a little bit.
 
"We're generating good chances, we're just not finishing. We have to figure out how to get our attack into a better rhythm."
 
Adrian Topete made six saves for the Pioneers, who were outshot by a slim 12-11 margin.

 

The Falcons made a strong foray into the East Bay end in the seventh minute, but freshman Julian White (Redmond, Wash./Redmond HS) was taken down in the box without a call to end the threat.
 
SPU has been victorious in all seven men's soccer encounters with the Pioneers.
 
The Falcons hit the road for their next three games, beginning with Saturday's GNAC matchup at Saint Martin's. Kick-off is 4 p.m. in Lacey, Wash.
 
The next home game for the SPU men is Oct. 2 at 4:30 p.m. against Western Washington.
 
 
NCAA MEN'S SOCCER
Monday, Sept. 15, 2014
Interbay Stadium/Seattle, Wash.
 
at Seattle Pacific 1, Cal State East Bay 0
 
Scoring – 1, SPU, Matt Merchant (Sean Russell, Evan Robicheau), 14:28.
 
Shots – CSUEB 11, SPU 12.
Saves – CSUEB 6 (Adrian Topete), SPU 1 (Cody Lang).
Corner Kicks – CSUEB 0, SPU 4.
Fouls – CSUEB 10, SPU 19.
Offside – CSUEB 0, SPU 4.
 
Records
Seattle Pacific 3-0-1
Cal State East Bay 1-2-1
 
Next SPU Men's Game
Seattle Pacific at Saint Martin's
Saturday, Sept. 20, 4:00 p.m.
SMU Soccer Field / Lacey, Wash.