Box Score    |    Final Stats    |    VIDEO: Carlos  Franco

SEATTLE – Seattle Pacific turned a corner Saturday, parlaying a trio of set-piece scores into its first conference win.
 
Freshman Carlos Franco netted a goal and assisted on the game-winner as SPU snapped a lengthy streak of draws with a 3-2 victory over Concordia (Ore.) in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's soccer game at Interbay Stadium.
 
The two-time defending champion Falcons (3-3-5) registered their first positive result in seven games, dating to Sept. 10. They improved to 1-1-4 in GNAC play after stopping a string of four consecutive ties in conference contests.
 


The Cavaliers (4-4-2) opened the scoring five minutes into the game. Abdiel Morfin found the goal on a follow shot from five yards out at 4:53 after teammate Kieran McMinn banged a ball off the right post that caromed across the goalmouth.
 
Keenan dePinna leveled the score just over two minutes later, capitalizing on a poor clearance of a corner kick. The loose ball carried high in the air toward the goal and dePinna (Portland, Ore.) was there at 7:05 to tap it in for his first score of the season.
 
"The one thing I want to talk about is our response. They score an early goal and we respond right away for the second game in a row," said SPU coach Mark Collings. "That's what this group has done all year long, they've responded. Not only do they get one to tie it up, but then they get two more in the first half."
 
A corner kick created SPU's go-ahead goal. The serve was cleared by a Cavaliers defender, but Franco gathered the ball in the left side of the box and fired a low, 12-yard shot inside the right post at 25:05. That was his second strike of the year.
 
All three SPU goals were initiated by corner kicks. The first two came after attempts to clear the serves into the box. The decisive tally came directly off a designed play on the set piece, at 29:47.

 

Franco (Goodyear, Ariz.) sent a short kick from the right corner to Gabriel Weber, who immediately made a return pass. Franco then delivered a pass into the center, past Julian White who feigned a touch on the ball. The low feed found Gabe Kellum at the top of the box for a 19-yard shot into left side of the visitor's goal. Kellum (Rennes, France) now has five goals.
 
"It definitely was exactly as we drew it up," Collings described. "The guys couldn't have executed it any better, from the entry ball to the ball back and then Carlos' ball. Then Julian really sold it and Gabe had a great finish.
 
"There's a lot of moving pieces in that one play and it worked. As a coaching staff you can look pretty poor sometimes when they try, sometimes they fail at the first pass and you don't even see the rest of it. It's a credit to those guys and their execution tonight."
 
Midway through the second half, CU was awarded a penalty kick after a foul in the left side of the box. Matt Paine converted the free shot from the 12-yard spot at 67:55, his eighth goal of the season, to bring the visitors within 3-2.
 
SPU preserved the one-goal lead, allowing just two shots over the final 22 minutes. Senior Cody Lang was credited with one save in goal.
 
"Again it was our response after their second goal that I was so proud of," said Collings. "We certainly could have panicked and made life really difficult on ourselves with those last 20 minutes there, but we settled in."
 
Goalkeepers Grant Alcorn and Jason Hines each made two saves for the Cavaliers, who were outshot 16-12.
 
Collings believes that Saturday could be a breakout performance for his young, budding star.
 
"Carlos is really, really talented. His feel for the game, his instincts and his technique on the ball are pretty special. I hesitate to use that word, but he's got some tools that allow him to be a pretty creative force for us. His finish tonight was spectacular and the ball he played in on the set piece was spot on, which for a first-time ball is a tough ball to play on a wet night. He hit a pinpoint pass that allowed for the finish.
 
"It's taken a little bit of time for Carlos to figure it out and for us to figure out how to play with him. The last few games he's really started to hit his stride and it's not by any mistake that we've started to find a little bit better rhythm as well."
 
The Falcons play at home again on Thursday, hosting Saint Martin's in a 7 p.m. game at Interbay Stadium.
 
 
NCAA MEN'S SOCCER
Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.
 
at Seattle Pacific 3, Concordia (Ore.) 2
 
                     1   2  -- TOTAL
Concordia            1   1  --   2
Seattle Pacific      3   0  --   3
 
Scoring – 1, CU Abdiel Morfin (Kieran McMinn), 4:53; 2, SPU, Keenan dePinna, 7:05; 3, SPU, Carlos Franco, 25:05; 4, SPU, Gabe Kellum (Carlos Franco, Gabriel Weber), 29:47; 5, CU, Matt Paine (PK), 67:55.
 
Shots – CU 12, SPU 16.
Saves – CU 4 (Grant Alcorn 2, Jason Hines 2), SPU 1 (Cody Lang).
Corner Kicks – CU 7, SPU 6.
Fouls – CU 12, SPU 11.
Offsides – CU 1, SPU 0.
 
Records
Seattle Pacific 3-3-5, 1-1-4 GNAC
Concordia 4-43-2, 1-3-1 GNAC
 
Next SPU Men's Game
Saint Martin's at Seattle Pacific
Thursday, October 13, 7:00 p.m.
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash