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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 –
Seattle Pacific at Metro State
5:00 p.m. PDT (6:00 MDT), Regency Athletic Complex, Denver, Colo.
• Webcast:  https://portal.stretchinternet.com/msudenver/
• LiveStats:  www.sidearmstats.com/msudenver/wsoc/
 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 –
Seattle Pacific at Colorado Christian
2:00 p.m. PDT (3:00 MDT), Trailblazer Stadium, Lakewood, Colo.
• Webcast:  https://portal.stretchinternet.com/ccucougars/
• LiveStats:  http://www.sidearmstats.com/ccu/msoc/
 
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 –
Fort Hays State at Seattle Pacific
7:00 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
• Webcast:  https://portal.stretchinternet.com/spu/
• LiveStats:  http://www.sidearmstats.com/spu/msoc/
 
After drawing a split of two season-opening home games the Seattle Pacific men's soccer team takes its show on the road for a pair of contests in Colorado. The Falcons (1-1) visit Denver for a clash with Metro State (0-2) on Thursday, Sept. 7 at 5 p.m. Pacific Time (6 p.m. Central). SPU beat the Roadrunners 3-1 last season in Seattle behind a hat trick from then senior Stephen MacDonald. On Saturday, Sept. 9 the Falcons are in Lakewood for a 2 p.m. PDT game at Colorado Christian (0-2). SPU won all four previous meeting with the Cougars including a 6-1 decision last year. The non-conference portion of the schedule concludes at home on Thursday, Sept. 14 when Fort Hays State (0-1-1) invades Interbay Stadium for a 7 p.m. contest. The Tigers defeated SPU 2-1 last season in Seattle.


 
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.
 
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).
 
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.
 
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 now 101-42-29.
 
Player of the Week
Gabe Kellum, who scored twice in the Falcons first victory of the season after distributing an assist in the season opener, received the GNAC men's soccer Offensive Player of the Week award on Tuesday. The senior forward notched the second multi-goal game of his career, netting a goal in each half of a 4-1 home triumph over Sonoma State (Sept. 2). He opened the scoring in the 15th minute and tallied the third goal in the 67th. In Thursday's 2-1 loss to Chico State, Kellum set up SPU's lone goal, by Gabriel Weber, in the 16th minute. Kellum increased his career totals to 13 goals and 11 assists.
 
This Week's Opponents
Metro State (0-2-0) -- The Roadrunners opened with two road games in Texas, losing 2-1 to ninth-ranked St. Edward's and 4-3 to St. Mary's. Junior forward Hector Banages leads the attack with a goal and assist. SPU has a 5-2 edge in the all-time series, including wins in the last two encounters, both in Seattle. The Falcons won 2-1 on Sept. 10, 2011 and were 3-1 victors on Sept. 10 last year on then senior Stephen MacDonald's hat trick. The last time they met in Denver, Metro posted a 3-0 victory in 2010.
 
Colorado Christian (0-2-0) -- The Cougars suffered a pair of home setbacks to start the season, losing 3-0 to West Texas A&M and 1-0 to U-Mary. Saturday marks the fourth all-time meeting and SPU was victorious each time. The Falcons won 4-1 at home in 1997, 3-2 at Lakewood in 1998, 4-1 at home on Oct. 22, 1999 and 6-1 on Sept. 8, 2016 in the most recent encounter when Gabe Kellum scored twice.
 
Fort Hays State (0-1-1) -- The Tigers visit Seattle for the second straight season. They battled No. 3 Rockhurst to a scoreless draw to open the 2017 season before losing 3-1 at McKendree. FHSU plays two road games before visiting SPU. Mauricio Etcheverry netted the Tigers lone goal.  Fort Hays advanced to the national quarterfinals in each of the last two seasons. These teams met for the first time last season with FHSU going up 2-0 in the first half and holding on for a 2-1 win over the Falcons on Sept. 17, 2016 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 101-42-29 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 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.

Upcoming Action
The SPU men start GNAC play in a big way, hosting last year's top-two teams. Defending champion and currently No. 3-ranked Simon Fraser invades Interbay Stadium on Sept. 21 at 7:30 p.m. and Western Washington visits on Sept. 23 at 7 p.m.