Box Score    |    Final Stats

CHICO, Calif. – Omar Nuno recorded the first hat trick against the Seattle Pacific men in eight years, leading Chico State to a 3-2 home win over the 11th-ranked Falcons in a non-conference soccer game on Saturday at University Soccer Stadium.
 
The Falcons (0-1-1) are winless in their opening two games for the first time since 2011 when they also started with a tie and loss. They recovered that season to make the playoffs, initiating the current streak of five consecutive NCAA Division II Tournament appearances.
 
"Unfortunately we haven't finished any of our seasons undefeated. There are too many good teams, Chico's one of them, to expect to run the table every year," said Coach Mark Collings, whose Falcons lost only once in 2015, the fewest in program history.
 
"Credit to Chico, they executed what they wanted to do and we got exposed in some areas tonight. It's not doom and gloom here. We lost a soccer game and we're going to get better because of it."
 
SPU twice rallied to even the score, the first time on a 20th-minute goal by Gabe Kellum. Stephen MacDonald tallied the second equalizer in the 71st minute, but Nuno netted the game-winner 1-minute, 20-seconds later on a 22-yard free kick.
 
An opposing player had not produced three goals against the Falcons since Jarred Weisen did the trick for Montana State Billings on Nov. 6, 2008.
 
The Wildcats scored on the first shot of the game, after just 2:59 had expired. Dylan Wakefield made a long dribbling run down the right flank to the end line. He delivered a low pass completely across the goalmouth that was knocked in six yards from the left post by Nuno.
 
The SPU men didn't get a shot off until the 13th minute. Their second attempt, seven minutes later, found the back of the net.
 
Kellum (Rennes, France) broke into the box and beat goalkeeper Damion Lewis to the right side before sending a shot into the left inside netting from 10 yards out. That was Kellum's first score of the season and his sixth career goal.
 
Nuno put the hosts up 2-1 nearly 12 minutes into the second half. He dribbled through the SPU defense before slipping a 16-yard shot past diving goalkeeper Cody Lang and inside the right post at 56:47.

 

MacDonald (Phoenix, Ariz.) got his first goal of the year, and 16th career strike, at 70:53. He took a few quick touches on the left side before unleashing a 35-yard shot into the far side of the Chico goal.
 
A foul on the Wildcats next offensive foray set up a free kick from four yards outside the box that Nuno deposited into the SPU goal at 72:13.
 
"He beat us in just about every facet of the game," Collings said of Nuno. "The first one he gets on the end of a cross, the second one he spins our defender and buried it and then the third one was a free kick. I don't think it gets much more complete than that."
 
SPU had two quality opportunities for another equalizer. In the 80th minute forward Mori Tsuchiya (Chief Sealth HS) hit a volley from the center of the box that traveled just wide of the left post. Defender Ryan Higgins (Issaquah HS) had a short header with 4:12 left to play that carried wide of the right post.
 
Lang (Spokane, Wash./Lewis & Clark HS) was credited with one save while surrendering the most goals in his career. Chico's three-goal outburst came against an SPU defense that allowed only nine goals all last season, leading the nation with a 0.45 goals against average.
 
The Falcons gave up three goals for the first time in 63 games, dating to a 3-1 loss against Western Washington on Oct. 25, 2012.
 
"Tonight was a tough one and we just made some errors that are uncharacteristic of our team and some individuals," said Collings. "We did battle and I like that. I like our team and we're going to get better."
 
The SPU men return to Seattle for their Interbay Stadium home opener against Colorado Christian on Sept. 8 at 7 p.m.
 
 
NCAA MEN'S SOCCER
Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016
University Soccer Stadium/Chico, Calif.
 
at Chico State 3, (#11) Seattle Pacific 2
 
                    1   2  --  TOTAL
Seattle Pacific     1   1  --   2
Chico State         1   2  --   3
 
Scoring – 1, CSUS, Omar Nuno (Dylan Wakefield), 2:59; 2, SPU, Gabe Kellum, 19:51; 3, CSUS, Nuno, 56:47; 4, SPU, Stephen MacDonald, 70:53; 5, CSUS, Nuno, 72:13.
 
Shots – SPU 11, CSUS 10.
Saves – SPU 1 (Cody Lang), CSUS 1 (Damion Lewis).
Corner Kicks – SPU 3, CSUS 4.
Fouls – SPU 12, CSUS 13.
Offsides – SPU 2, CSUS 2.
 
Records
Seattle Pacific 0-1-1
Chico State 1-1-0
 
Next SPU Men's Game
Colorado Christian at Seattle Pacific
Thursday, Sept. 8, 7:00 p.m.
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.