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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26 –
Concordia (Ore.) at Seattle Pacific
4:30 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28 –
Saint Martin's at Seattle Pacific (SENIOR NIGHT)
7:00 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
 
• Webcast for Both Games:  http://portal.stretchinternet.com/spu/
• LiveStats for Both Games:  http://www.sidearmstats.com/spu/msoc/
 
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4 –
Seattle Pacific at (#9) Simon Fraser
7:00 p.m. PDT, Terry Fox Field, Burnaby, B.C.
 
• Webcast & LiveStats:  http://portal.stretchinternet.com/spu/
 
Two home games this week and a road game the following Saturday close out the men's soccer regular season for Seattle Pacific. The second-place Falcons (9-4-1, 5-3-1 GNAC) entertain Concordia at Interbay Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 26 at 4:30 p.m. The Cavaliers (4-8-2, 3-5-1) are winless in six all-time meetings with SPU, which leads the series 4-0-2. On Saturday, Oct. 28 Saint Martin's (1-12-1, 1-7-1) visits at 7 p.m. for the Falcons annual Senior Night game. SPU has not lost to the Saints since 2009, forging a 14-0-1 record since then. The regular season concludes on Nov. 4 at league-leading Simon Fraser (10-1-2, 6-1-1). Kick-off is 7 p.m. at Terry Fox Field in Burnaby, B.C. The Clan own a slim 25-24-7 edge in the all-time series with SPU and the teams tied 1-1 on Sept. 21 in Seattle.
 
GNAC Race
The Falcons are currently tied with Western Washington for second in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings with 16 points, three back of Simon Fraser (19). Both WWU and Simon Fraser have a game in hand on SPU. For the first time, the GNAC champion receives an automatic berth into the NCAA Division II Tournament.
 
Ticket Talk
Tickets for SPU soccer games can be purchased on game day at Interbay Stadium (3027 17th Ave. W., Seattle 98119). Ticket windows open one hour prior to kickoff. All seats are general admission and priced at $7 for adults and $4 for students and senior citizens. SPU students and staff are admitted free. For group rates call (206) 281-2085.
 
Senior Salute
Prior to the Oct. 28 game with Saint Martin's, a ceremony will be conducted to honor SPU's seven seniors. Jess Cayetano, Ryan Higgins, Chaz Jenkins, Gabe Kellum, Grayson Raffensperger, Mori Tsuchiya and Julian White will make their final home appearances at Interbay Stadium. That seven-player class helped the Falcons compile a 45-13-12 record during their collegiate careers (23-6-8 at Interbay), win back-to-back GNAC championships (2014, 2015) and earn two NCAA playoff berths.
 


Balanced Attack
The SPU offense features 13 players with at least one goal while 14 Falcons have distributed one or more assists.  Gabe Kellum (5 goals/6 assists) tops the team with 16 points and Gabriel Weber has 13 (5 goals/3 assists).
 
Last Week
Trevor Lee's golden goal with 3:07 left in the final overtime gave SPU a 1-0 home win over Northwest Nazarene on Oct. 19. Mori Tsuchiya scored first for the Falcons on Oct. 21, but Montana State Billings rallied for a 2-1 win, capped by a 67th minute goal.
 
Throw-Ins
The Falcons have a 2-1-1 record in overtime contests ... SPU has scored 30 times, a 2.14 goals-per-game average that is the program's highest ratio since the 2002 squad averaged 2.79 ... With 30 assists in 14 games, the current rate of 2.14 per game is SPU's best since the 2000 squad averaged 3.68 assists (70 in 19 games) ... The Falcons have a 6-1-0 road record ... Gabe Kellum (Sept. 2), Mori Tsuchiya (Sept. 7) and Gabriel Weber  (Sept. 9) each have a two-goal game this year ... One third of the roster (9 of 27 players) is comprised of newcomers and eight Falcons made a SPU playing debut in 2017.
 
Playoff Pursuit
The Falcons are vying for their 36th NCAA Division II Tournament berth. They participated in the playoffs five straight seasons from 2011-15, a streak that stopped last year. SPU has won five national championships (1978, 1983, 1985, 1986 & 1993).
 
This Week's Opponents
Concordia (4-8-2, 3-5-1 GNAC) -- The Cavaliers, from Portland, Oregon, are third-year members of the GNAC and NCAA. They upset then No. 2-ranked Simon Fraser 3-2 on Sept. 28. Nick Evans paces the CU attack with four goals and three assists. SPU leads the series 4-0-2 after sweeping the Cavaliers in 2016 and winning this season's first encounter, 2-1 on Oct. 7 in Portland. Julian White's 77th-minute goal was the winner.
 
Saint Martin's (1-12-1, 1-7-1 GNAC) -- The Saints lone win was a 3-2 decision last Thursday over then first-place Western Washington. Brandon Madsen accounted for over half (12) of SMU's 21 goals. Goalkeeper Griffin Small compiled a 2.84 goals against average while averaging 5.2 saves per game. The Falcons lead the all-time series 17-3-1. They rallied from a two-goal deficit to win 5-3 at SMU on Oct. 12 in Lacey getting scores from five different players.
 
Simon Fraser (10-1-2, 6-1-1 GNAC) -- The ninth-ranked and first-place Clan won their last five games. SFU claimed four straight GNAC titles (2010-13) and advanced to back-to-back Final Fours in 2012 and 2013. After two Seattle Pacific league championships (2014, 2015), the Clan recaptured the crown in 2016. Goalkeeper Miguel Hof has five shutouts and a 0.72 goals against average. Simon Fraser is outscoring opponents 32-10 led by the 10 goals of Matteo Polisi. Senior midfielder Adam Jones, the 2016 GNAC Player of the Year, has four goals and four assists. Jones had a hat trick at SPU in a 4-2 Clan win on Nov. 5, 2016 in Seattle. Simon Fraser holds a slim 25-24-7 edge in the all-time series and the teams tied 1-1 on Sept. 21 in Seattle.

 

Coach Collings
Mark Collings is in his 10th season as head coach at his alma mater. He has directed Seattle Pacific to a 109-45-30 record, two GNAC championships and a stretch of five consecutive NCAA Division II Tournament berths from 2011-15. His coaching highlights include school-record streaks of 13 consecutive victories and 15 games unbeaten established in 2014 along with absorbing the fewest losses in a campaign with just one in 2015 (14-1-4). Collings registered his 100th coaching victory with the Falcons on Oct. 28, 2016. He collected his third GNAC Coach of the Year award in 2015 (also 2010 & 2014). Collings is the third head coach in the 50-year history of SPU men's soccer. He replaced Cliff McCrath (512-190-87 record from 1970-2007). Arnie Aizstrauts was 1-14-1 from 1968-69. The co-captain as a defender on SPU's 1998 Final Four team, Collings was a five-year assistant coach for the Falcons.
 
2016 Review
Last year, the SPU men posted a 6-6-5 record and were absent from the NCAA field for the first time since 2010, snapping a five-year playoff streak. They injury-depleted Falcons finished fifth in the GNAC standings with a 4-4-4 league ledger. Five Falcons, including four-time, first-team defender Davis Karaica, were named to the All-GNAC squad. Karaica was a two-time All-American who participated in 30 shutouts while starting each of his 73 career games at SPU. Seniors Jeffrey Collings and Cody Lang were recognized as second-team selections. Senior Jordan Kollars and junior Jess Cayetano received honorable mention acclaim.