Box Score    |     • VIDEO: Jeffrey  Collings

SEATTLE – Despite referees confirming before every game that goals measure a standard 24-feet in width, recently those targets have seemed a lot larger for the Falcons.
 
Mori Tsuchiya scored his team's earliest goal of the year and Chaz Jenkins followed with another one-minute, 51-seconds later Saturday, igniting 12th-ranked Seattle Pacific's 4-0 win over Western Washington in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's soccer game at Interbay Stadium.
 
The defending GNAC champion Falcons (10-1-2) kept their first-place position in the standings, improving to 6-1-2 in league play with their fourth consecutive victory.
 
SPU reached the 10-win mark for the seventh straight season.
 

 
For the second game in a row the Falcons started off fast. In Thursday's 3-2 win over Simon Fraser they got a pair of goals in the opening 9:45 before the visitors responded. They were even quicker on Saturday, gaining a 2-0 lead just 3:25 in on the game's first two shots.
 
"We're making it look at lost easier than it really is," said SPU coach Mark Collings. "Scoring two goals in the first four minutes, it can go one of two ways. It can go the way it went tonight or it could turn into them getting one and getting back into it and us trying to regain it a little bit.
 
"Maybe what happed with Simon Fraser helped. Hopefully we learned a little from that. "
 
Tsuchiya (Chief Sealth HS) dribbled into the left side of the box and deked the onrushing goalkeeper before sliding a 14-yard shot into the open goal with just 1-minute, 34-second expired. The sophomore forward has netted three goals in the last four games.
 
Before two more minutes ticked off the clock, SPU's Jordan Kollars (Central Kitsap HS) served a corner kick from the left side and Jenkins (Everett HS) rose at the top of the 6-yard box to head it under the crossbar at 3:25.  That was his first goal of the season.
 
Gabe Kellum scored at 69:27 to make it 3-0 SPU. On a counter-attack, Ian Adams slid a long through ball that Kellum (Rennes, France) reached on the left side and dribbled into the box before sending a 15-yard shot into the right side past the sprawling goalkeeper.

 

Matt Merchant (Portland, Ore.) capped the scoring at 82:05, picking up the rebound of a blocked shot and depositing it into the goal from 16 yards out.
 
"Four really good goals tonight. We're getting contributions from a lot of guys," said Collings.
 
After scuffling to score early in the season, the Falcons have flourished the last two weeks. They managed 10 goals in the first nine games, just twice scoring more than once while averaging 1.1 goal per game. In the last four outings, SPU erupted for 14 goals, averaging 3.5 goals. They registered two four-goal performances along with a pair of three-goal games.
 
"Earlier in the year we were creating chances and just not finishing. It was just a matter of time, and I think the lid has been taken off a little bit. You can see that we look more comfortable in front of goal. We look more goal-dangerous even in our buildup.
 
"We've been able to throw the same lineup out there a few games in a row that's really helped us. Most of all we have guys that are putting the ball in the back of the net. Everyone is hungry and they feel like the ball is going to go in. The goal looks about 60-feet wide."
 
The Vikings (4-6-3) saw their GNAC record fall to 2-5-2. They were swept in the season series, including a 2-1 decision on Oct. 1 in Bellingham, and have lost the last five encounters with SPU.
 
Western had back-to-back scoring chances in the 68th minute. Kurtis Pederson's shot was deflected by SPU goalkeeper Cody Lang. The rebound went to Jose Castillo, and his follow attempt was smothered by Lang near the right post.
 
Those were two of the four saves compiled by Lang (Spokane, Wash./Lewis & Clark HS), who registered his seventh shutout.
 
Tyler Visten made five saves for WWU, which was outshot by a 20-13 margin.
 
The SPU men depart this week on their final regular-season road trip. They visit Portland, Ore. to meet first-year GNAC member Concordia on Thursday before a Saturday clash against Northwest Nazarene in Nampa, Idaho.
 
Both of those teams played Seattle Pacific to a draw in Seattle.
 
"These are two really big games for us. Concordia came here and gave us everything we could handle. They've been on quite a run so that will be a really tough game for us on Thursday. And then, of course, NNU on Saturday.
 
"The guys are excited for it to be our last trip and are hopeful that we can put a really solid performance together on Thursday and then we'll see what happens on Saturday."
 
The Falcons close out the campaign with three consecutive home games. They entertain U-Mary on Oct. 29, Montana State Billings on Oct. 31 and Saint Martin's on Nov. 7.

 
NCAA MEN'S SOCCER
Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.
 
at (#12) Seattle Pacific 4, Western Washington 0
 
Scoring – 1, SPU, Mori Tsuchiya, 1:34; 2, SPU, Chaz Jenkins (Jordan Kollars), 3:25; 3, SPU, Gabe Kellum (Ian Adams), 69:27; 4, SPU, Matt Merchant (Jeffrey Collings), 82:05.
 
Shots – WWU 13, SPU 20.
Saves – WWU 5 (Tyler Visten), SPU 4 (Cody Lang).
Corner kicks – WWU 5, SPU 9.
Fouls – WWU 14, SPU 10.
Offsides – WWU 1, SPU 3.
 
Records
Seattle Pacific 10-1-2, 6-1-2 GNAC
Western Washington 4-6-3, 2-5-2 GNAC
 
Next SPU Men's Game
Seattle Pacific at Concordia (Ore.)
Thursday, Oct. 22, 4:30 p.m.
Hilken Community Stadium / Portland, Ore.