• Complete Release (pdf)

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 –
(#13) Seattle Pacific at Saint Martin's
4:00 p.m. PDT, SMU Soccer Field, Lacey, Wash.
• LiveStats:  http://portal.stretchinternet.com/spu/
 
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 –
(#13) Seattle Pacific at U-Mary
5:30 p.m. PDT (7:30 p.m. CDT), Community Bowl, Bismarck, N.D.
• LiveStats:  http://216.235.170.75/livestats/soccer_men/xlive.htm
 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 –
(#13) Seattle Pacific at South Dakota School of Mines
6:30 p.m. PDT (7:30 MDT), Sioux Park Stadium, Rapid City, S.D.
• LiveStats:  http://rtstats.sdsmt.edu/soccer/xlive.htm 
• Video: http://www.americaonesports.com/partner_members.asp?id=71
 
The 13th-ranked Seattle Pacific men's soccer team (3-0-1) hits the road for three straight games to open Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. The Falcons first take the quick, 58-mile drive down Interstate 5 to Lacey, Wash. for a Saturday, Sept. 20 game at Saint Martin's (0-4). Kick-off is 4 p.m. at SMU Soccer Field. SPU won the last eight meetings against the Saints. Next week the Falcons embark on their farthest road trip, beginning on Thursday, Sept. 25 with a league contest at the University of Mary (1-0-1). The game is set for 5:30 p.m. Pacific Time (7:30 p.m. Central) at the Community Bowl in Bismarck, N.D. SPU owns an 8-0-1 series advantage over the Marauders. On Saturday, Sept. 27, the Falcons visit Rapid City, S.D. to clash with South Dakota School of Mines (1-3). That game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time (7:30 p.m. Mountain) at Sioux Park Stadium. SPU swept both games last season in its first ever encounters with the Hardrockers, winning 2-1 in Rapid City and 1-0 in Seattle. The Falcons are vying for their 33rd NCAA Division II Tournament berth. They participated in the playoffs in each of the last three seasons.

 

Dynamic Defense
SPU has not allowed a goal in its last 279 minutes and has surrendered just one score in 380 total minutes this season. Sophomore goalkeeper Cody Lang played every minute between the posts, compiling nine saves, three shutouts and a remarkable 0.24 goals against average. The Falcons defense limited their four opponents to 43 shots, just 11 of them directly on goal.
 
Throw-Ins
Seattle Pacific drew its first ranking of the season, voted to the No. 13 spot in the national coaches poll. The Falcons are ranked for the first time since Oct. 30, 2012 ... Sean Russell (2 goals/1 assist) and Stephen MacDonald (1 goal/2 assists) each played a part in three of the team's five goals.
 
Last Week
SPU posted back-to-back home shutouts to complete the non-conference portion of its schedule with a 3-0-1 record. Sean Russell netted both goals, the first with 16 seconds left in the opening half, en route to a 2-0 victory over Notre Dame de Namur (Sept. 13). Falcons defender Davis Karaica cleared a ball off the goal line at 15:21. In Monday's 1-0 win over Cal State East Bay, Matt Merchant's 15th-minute strike proved decisive.
 
2014 Preview
Eight starters are back for SPU, including first-team All-GNAC goalkeeper Cody Lang. The sophomore shot-stopper registered eight shutouts and an impressive 0.76 goals against average in 2013. Returning players accounted for 22 of the team's 29 goals last season, including four apiece from the trio of Stephen MacDonald, Bryson Pavel and Sean Russell. Sophomore Jordan Kollars was SPU's best playmaker with five assists while junior Danny Olivas was tops in total points with 10 on three goals and four assists. Pavel was a first-team All-GNAC defender as was sophomore Davis Karaica. Russell and Olivas were honorable mention all-league selections. The impressive list of returning starters is bolstered by six standout freshmen, sophomore midfielder Keenan dePinna who transferred from Oregon State and red-shirt freshman Gabe Kellum from France.
 
Scouting the Opponents
Saint Martin's (0-4-0) -- The winless Saints played a gauntlet of difficult opponents, all on the road. They lost their last outing 1-0 against the same Chico State squad that tied SPU 1-1. The balanced SMU attack features four different goal scorers. The Falcons won the last eight meetings, including a 4-1 win in Lacey (Nov. 9, 2013) in the last matchup. SPU owns an 11-3 advantage in the all-time series.
 
University of Mary (1-0-1) -- The Marauders hail from Bismarck, N.D. and are third-year GNAC members, competing in men's soccer only. U-Mary tied 23rd-ranked Fort Hays State 1-1 in the season opener before beating Southwest Baptist 5-2. Aaron Brennan and Jordan Pearce pace the offense with two goals apiece. Goalkeeper Jack West compiled a 1.35 goals against average. The Falcons own an 8-0-1 series lead, including a 2-0 win in Seattle on Oct. 24, 2013. On Sept. 21, 2013 SPU won 1-0 at U-Mary on Stephen MacDonald's 54th-minute goal.
 
South Dakota School of Mines (1-3-0) -- The Hardrockers are second-year men's soccer-only members of the GNAC from Rapid City. Sean Tabbet netted the team's lone goal in the season-opening 2-1 overtime loss to Illinois-Springfield. Goalkeeper Braeden Federle has a 1.86 goals against average. SPU swept last year's games 2-1 in Rapid City and 1-0 in Seattle, in the first ever meetings.

 

Coach Collings
Seventh-year coach Mark Collings is the third head coach in the 47-year history of Seattle Pacific men's soccer. He has a 67-32-19 record with the Falcons. Collings led SPU to a 12-4-3 record in 2013 and the team's third straight playoff berth. The Falcons put together a 14-game unbeaten streak, the longest such single-season stretch in school history. A 10-1-3 GNAC record put SPU in second place. They lost 1-0 to Chico State in the first round of the playoffs. In 2012, Collings directed SPU to a 11-3-5 record and in 2011 a 14-4-2 record was capped by the first playoff appearance in five years. Collings was named the 2010 GNAC Co-Coach of the Year after leading SPU to a 10-6-2 record following records of 11-5-3 in 2009 and 6-10-3 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.
 
2013 Review
The SPU men registered a 12-4-3 overall record in 2013, placed second in the GNAC standings with a 10-1-3 mark and participated in the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season. They lost 1-0 against Chico State in the opening round of the playoffs in La Jolla, Calif. The Falcons forged a 14-game unbeaten streak, the longest in school history during a single season. Highlighting the season was a 2-1 upset of top-ranked Simon Fraser on Oct 3 in Seattle. Danny Olivas netted a 79th-minute free kick to secure the victory. Three seniors departed, all of them starters: defender Kodiac Gamble, midfielder Anthony Mohammed and forward Blaine Carver. SPU outscored foes 29-15 led by a trio of four-goal scorers in Stephen MacDonald, Sean Russell and Bryson Pavel. First-team All-GNAC goalkeeper Cody Lang played every minute, posting eight shutouts and a 0.76 goals against average.