Box Score    |     VIDEO: Ian  Adams

SEATTLE – Because they were unselfish this Saturday, the Falcons might not have to share the conference championship next Saturday.
 
Ian Adams scored in the 10th minute and that goal held up for ninth-ranked Seattle Pacific, which secured at least share of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's soccer championship with a 1-0 win over Montana State Billings at Interbay Stadium.
 
The defending conference champion Falcons (13-1-3) improved to 9-1-3 in league play. They have accumulated 30 points and own a three-point lead in the standings over second-place Simon Fraser with one game remaining. A win or draw next week, or a loss or tie by Simon Fraser gives SPU its second straight outright league title.
 
"We certainly don't play for ties in the GNAC championship here, so there really wasn't a lot of celebration tonight because we want to win it outright," said SPU coach Mark Collings. "We have one more game to go and our sites are on the NCAA Tournament and we would like to host.
 
"But certainly if we can win a GNAC championship it will mean a lot because this year is the strongest our conference has ever been. For us to win a championship in this year would certainly mean a lot to our guys."
 
The SPU men conclude the regular-season schedule at home on Saturday, Nov. 7 against Saint Martin's. Kick-off is 7 p.m. at Interbay Stadium where seven seniors will be honored prior to the game.
 


Saturday's game was intense from the start with three early shots, the first by Billings' Thiago Novis nine seconds in, and then two by SPU.
 
Adams (Shorecrest HS) got the game's only score at 9:21, tying for the team lead with his fifth goal. Danny Olivas slipped a pass to Gabe Kellum who patiently dribbled in the box and drew the goalkeeper out before distributing the ball to Adams on the right side for an eight-yard finish into the open net.
 
"What a great goal," Collings exclaimed. "It was really unselfish on Gabe's part and a great ball by Danny to Gabe.
 
"Ian showed real composure. He had a guy flying at him, so to touch it by him and then finish, really showed his maturity. He's one of our captains and he stepped up for us at the right time."
 
Kellum (Rennes, France) was credited with his team-high sixth assist. Collings claimed that the sophomore forward would not have passed the ball in a similar situation last year.
 
"In his couple years in our program Gabe has seen exponential growth. I honestly believe that last year he would have smashed that ball instead of passing. And it may have gone in, because he strikes the ball as well as anybody on our team, but it may not have.
 
"So to have that mentality of unselfishness to slot it back to Ian shows where our team is right now. They are really just focused on getting the result and not the individual stats."
 
Olivas (Phoenix, Ariz.) picked up his third assist and is even with Adams for team-high point honors with 13.
 
The Falcons defense was stifling, limiting the visitors to seven shots and just two of them directly on goal. MSUB's Ricardo Palomino, who boasts a league-leading 16 goals, was blanked on three shots.

 

Collings credited the entire quartet of defenders for their performance, including center backs Chaz Jenkins and Davis Karaica and outside backs Bryson Pavel and Jeffrey Collings.
 
"Palomino is a good player. But Chaz and Davis were fantastic. They didn't really give him a lot of time on the ball and he didn't have too many clean looks at goal.
 
"Bryson and Jeffrey did a really good job out wide as well, providing cover. With Palomino drawing so much attention in the middle, those two guys were left on an island at times and they both were very good in 1-v-1 situations throughout the game."
 
SPU attempted 12 shots and four of them were on frame.
 
Junior goalkeeper Cody Lang (Spokane, Wash./Lewis & Clark HS) made two saves en route to his ninth clean sheet. His 27 career shutouts rank fourth among all-time SPU shot-stoppers.
 
Tom Lohmann compiled three saves for the Yellowjackets (8-6-3), who dropped to 6-5-2 in GNAC games.
 
The most dangerous MSUB chance came in the 53rd minute when Sam Butterworth lined a 17-yard blast from the right side of the box that carried just wide of the left post.
 
 "We were really good at the beginning and scored a great goal," Collings described. "We had a couple other great chances early then we just lost all of our rhythm. It kind of turned into a helter skelter game, which is never going to suit us very well."
 
 
NCAA MEN'S SOCCER
Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.
 
at (#9) Seattle Pacific 1, Montana State Billings 0
 
Scoring – 1, SPU, Ian Adams (Gabe Kellum, Danny Olivas), 9:21.
 
Shots – MSUB 7, SPU 12.
Saves – MSUB 3 (Tom Lohmann), SPU 2 (Cody Lang).
Corner kicks – MSUB 5, SPU 2.
Fouls – MSUB 9, SPU 10.
Offsides – MSUB 3, SPU 3.
 
Records
Seattle Pacific 13-1-3, 9-1-3 GNAC
Montana State Billings 8-6-3, 6-5-2 GNAC
 
Next SPU Men's Game
Saint Martin's at Seattle Pacific
Saturday, Nov. 7, 7:00 p.m.
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.