• Complete Release (pdf)   |   • VIDEO: Gabe  Kellum

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31 –
Chico State at Seattle Pacific
7:00 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 –
Sonoma State at Seattle Pacific
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/
 
Seeking a return to the NCAA Division II playoffs after a one-year absence, the Seattle Pacific men begin the 2017 soccer season with a pair of home games. Coach Mark Collings' Falcons open on Thursday, Aug. 31 against Chico State. That marks the ninth consecutive season SPU has encountered the Wildcats. Kick-off is 7 p.m. at Interbay Stadium as the nightcap of a doubleheader with the SPU women, who play at 4:30 p.m. On Saturday, Sept. 2 the Falcons men host Sonoma State at 7 p.m. The Seawolves and SPU met last year for the first time since 2009, battling to a 1-1 draw at Sonoma in the season opener.
 
Opening Act
Seattle Pacific begins its 50th year of men's soccer competition. The Falcons lost just once in their last 12 season openers, including a 2-2 road draw with Sonoma State in 2016. They have a 10-1-1 mark during that span. SPU boasts a 33-8-8 record in all-time season-opening contests.
 
Get Your Tickets
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. Groups or teams of 10 or more may qualify for reduced ticket rates by calling (206) 281-2393 in advance.

 

Home Webcasts
For the first time SPU will stream live webcasts of its home games. They can be viewed live, or soon after games in the archives, at -- http://portal.stretchinternet.com/spu  LiveStats are available at -- www.sidearmstats.com/spu/msoc
 
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).
 
Century Mark
Tenth-year SPU head coach Mark Collings registered his 100th victory with a 2-1 win at Saint Martin's on Oct. 29, 2016. His career record is 100-41-29.

 

2017 Preview
A lot of fresh faces for the Falcons! One third of the roster is comprised of newcomers and 10 of the 27 players have never seen action in an SPU uniform. Seven starters do return from last year's 6-6-5 squad, including players who accounted for 19 of the team's 33 goals. Senior forward Gabe Kellum is the top returning scorer with six goals to his credit in 2016. He also distributed four assists. Senior midfielder Jess Cayetano compiled four goals and two assists and was rewarded with honorable mention All-GNAC accolades. A trio of defensive starters is back in Ryan Higgins, Luke Postma and Julian White. The lengthy list of returning regulars is bolstered by six players that started at least once in 2016, along with eight true freshmen who will challenge for playing time.
 
GNAC Title Hunt
The SPU men won back-to-back Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) soccer championships, in 2014 and 2015, before Simon Fraser won last season's crown. The Falcons vie for their fourth league title since the GNAC was formed in 2001. 
 
Throw-Ins
Thirteen different players scored last season for SPU and eight of them return in 2017 ... The last time the Falcons had more ties than their five in 2017 was 2007 when they had a school-record seven. Last year's abundance of draws caused the end of a seven-year run of double-digit victory campaigns ... SPU tallied 33 goals lat season, a 1.94 goals-per-game clip that was the program's highest since the 2011 squad averaged 2.05.
 
This Week's Opponents
Chico State (8-6-3 in 2016) -- Seven starters return from the Wildcats squad that had an 8-6-3 record last season. They were projected sixth in this year's California Collegiate Athletic Association preseason poll. Sophomore forward Alex Fluitt returns after leading the team with four assists in 2016. Felipe Restrepo is in his 10th season as head coach, having directed the Wildcats to five NCAA Division II Tournament berths. The Falcons own a slim 20-19-3 series edge after losing 3-2 on Sept. 3 last year at Chico.
 
Sonoma State (10-5-5 in 2016) -- The Seawolves were picked second in the CCAA preseason poll. They posted a 10-5-5 record in 2016, their third 10-win season in the last four years, and made an appearance in the NCAA playoffs for the first time since 2010. SSU's defense features senior Eric Alvarado, a second-team All-CCAA selection who netted four goals in 2016. The Seawolves are coached for the 27th season by Marcus Zeimer, who has amassed 327 career wins. Sonoma trails 13-2-5 in the all-time series. The teams tied the last two meetings, including a 1-1 result in last year's season opener.

 

Coach Collings
Mark Collings enters his 10th season as head coach at his alma mater. He has directed Seattle Pacific to a 100-41-29 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 is the third head coach in the 50-year history of SPU men's soccer. Collings collected his third GNAC Coach of the Year award in 2015 (also 2010 & 2014). Collings replaced Cliff McCrath, who compiled a 512-190-87 mark in 38 seasons (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.
 
Next Week
The SPU men hit the road for two games in Colorado, Sept. 7 at Metro State and Sept. 9 at Colorado Christian. They return home to close out the non-conference slate on Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. against 11th-ranked Fort Hays State.