Box Score   |   Final Stats   |   VIDEO: Titus  Grant

SEATTLE – Gabe Kellum tallied a goal in each half Saturday, leading the Seattle Pacific men to their first win of the season, a 4-1 decision over Sonoma State in a non-conference soccer game at Interbay Stadium.
 
The Falcons (1-1) evened their record after falling 2-1 in Thursday's season opener despite out-shooting Chico State 18-11.
 
The hosts were more efficient Saturday, finding the back of the net on one third of their shots.
 
"We played really, really well tonight. We played well Thursday and tonight we played with the same composure, but played at a higher speed," said 10th-year SPU coach Mark Collings. "Especially in the first half, we were fantastic and took them away from what they want to do.
 
"Sonoma is a very good team that takes pride in possessing the ball. We forced them into some areas where they didn't want to play and it just disrupted their rhythm a little bit and that just fed into us."
 


Kellum hit paydirt on SPU's initial attempt, in the 15th minute. Mori Tsuchiya accepted a long pass on the left side from Sam Malloch and quickly sent a low ball across the box. Kellum streaked into the path of the ball and slipped a shot past the goalkeeper and into the right side of the goal at 14:12.
 
That was the first strike of the season for the senior forward who is the team's top returning scorer with six goals to his credit in 2016.
 
"The first goal, what a great ball from Mori after Malloch sprung him loose. Then Gabe with just a classy finish," Collings said. "The one thing about Gabe Kellum is he finishes. You give him a lot of looks around the box and he's going to hurt you. He did that tonight."

 

The lead grew 15 minutes later. SPU senior Jess Cayetano was on the right side at midfield from where he delivered a long pass to Titus Grant sprinting down the left flank. The freshman forward dribbled into the box and angled toward the goal before sending a 13-yard blast into the right side netting at 28:52.
 
While that was the first collegiate goal from Grant, his coaches and teammates have repeatedly witnessed similar performances in practice and before he arrived at SPU, according to Collings.
 
"Tonight I saw the same thing we saw since we've been recruiting him for a couple years and then what we've seen in training. His ability to get at players one-v-one and then his composure to finish is really beyond his years.
 
"Hopefully Titus has a few more of those in store. He's still learning and figuring things out, but definitely he's been blessed with some tools that allow him to do some things on the field."
 
The Seawolves nearly scored two minutes after halftime, but TJ Perez's shot from outside the box carried just wide of the right post.
 
"In the second half they came out flying as all good teams will," Collings described. "Marcus (Ziemer) does a great job with his teams and they made some adjustments. Fortunately, we were able to slow them down enough and get a win."
 
SPU struck for a third time at 60:31 on brilliant first-time volley by Kellum near the right post off freshman Jose Benavides' cross from the left wing.
 
"An unbelievable bit of soccer from us in the buildup switching it to Jose and he plays a heck of a ball to the back post for the great finish from Gabe," Collings described.
 
Saturday's brace gave Kellum the second multi-goal game of his career. He also scored twice on Sept. 8, 2016 at home against Colorado Christian.
 
Sonoma (1-1) finally found the goal in the 67th minute. Kyle Owings gathered the ball during a scramble in the goalmouth and poked it in from the top of the 6-yard box to trim the deficit to 3-1.
 
The final score was set after the Falcons benefited from an own goal. Sonoma defender Tanner Allison tried to clear a ball from the box, but it slammed off the back of his goalkeeper, Mitch North, and caromed into the goal with 2:15 left to play.
 
Collings emphasized the magnitude of Saturday's victory.
 
"It was massive. Getting the first of anything is always difficult. We got the first win of the year against an unbelievably talented team, a team that's going to win a lot of games this year and a team that was in the NCAA Tournament last year. So to have that kind of quality in our resume now gives us a ton of confidence."
 
An early result against a playoff team is even more impressive when considering that the SPU roster underwent substantial changes in the off-season. One third of this year's players (9) were not on the team last season and six of them made their debuts this week in a Falcons uniform.

 

Both North and SPU goalkeeper Kary Whitney were credited with two saves and the teams were level in the shots category, 10-10.
 
The Falcons embark on their first road trip of the season, playing a pair of games in Denver. They visit Metro State on Thursday at 5 p.m. Pacific Time and Colorado Christian on Saturday at 2 p.m.
 
"We've played two good games, even though we lost one we still played well," Collings said. "I just told the guys that every time we've stepped out and played somebody else we've gotten better. That's our goal.
 
"Our goal is to get better every game and hopefully we're a little better against Metro on Thursday and we'll just kind of keep going."
 
The next home game for the SPU men is Sept. 14 when 11th-ranked Fort Hays State invades Interbay Stadium for a 7 p.m. clash.
 
 
NCAA MEN'S SOCCER
Saturday, September 2, 2017
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.
 
at Seattle Pacific 4, Sonoma State 1
 
Scoring – 1, SPU, Gabe Kellum (Mori Tsuchiya, Sam Malloch), 14:22; 2, SPU, Titus Grant (Jess Cayetano), 28:52; 3, SPU, Gabe Kellum (Jose Benavides), 60:31; 4, SSU, Kyle Owings, 66:29; 5, SPU, own goal, 87:45.
 
                       1   2  --  TOTAL
Sonoma State           0   1  --    1
Seattle Pacific        2   2  --    4
 
Shots – SSU 10, SPU 10.
Saves – SSU 2 (Mitch North), SPU 2 (Kary Whitney).
Corner Kicks – SSU 2, SPU 7.
Fouls – SSU 11, SPU 18.
Offsides – SSU 3, SPU 1.
 
Records
Seattle Pacific 1-1-0
Sonoma State 1-1-0
 
Next SPU Men's Soccer Game
Seattle Pacific at Metro State
Thursday, Sept. 7, 5:00 p.m. PDT
Regency Athletic Complex / Denver, Colo.