Box Score   |   Final Stats

DENVER – Mori Tsuchiya is healthy, and he's hurting opponents.
 
Tsuchiya scored two goals Thursday, including the decisive strike with 2:02 left to play in Seattle Pacific's 2-1 non-conference men's soccer win over Metro State at the Regency Athletic Complex.
 
The Falcons (2-1) overcame a tying goal early in the second half to claim their second straight win.
 
The game-winner was set up by a long pass from defender Julian White (Redmond HS). Tsuchiya got the ball and raced around the onrushing goalkeeper just as he reached the 18-yard box. From the right side of the box, as he neared the end line, Tsuchiya drove a low shot into the goal from a sharp angle at 87:58.
 
Tsuchiya (Chief Sealth HS) registered the first multi-goal game of a collegiate career that has seen him net seven scores. He started the scoring 14:23 into Thursday's contest, finishing a lofted through pass to the right post from Sam Malloch. Tsuchiya fired a low shot across the goalmouth that caromed in off the left post.
 
 "Two excellent finishes. On both goals he was absolutely unbelievable," said 10th-year SPU coach Mark Collings. "This is what we've been waiting for from Mori."
 
Injuries have sidelined Tsuchiya throughout his SPU career. He missed five games last season after being unavailable for six outings in 2015.
 
"He's healthy, he's in good form and when we recruited Mori this is what knew he was capable of doing. When he's on, he's tough to deal with."
 
The Roadrunners (0-3) equalized in the 52nd minute, capitalizing on a foul at the top edge of the box on the left side. Moritz Walther drove a shot that deflected off an SPU defender in the wall, re-directing it toward the right post and out of goalkeeper Kary Whitney's reach.
 
"They came out and got a goal early in the second half that kind of put us on our heels," Collings described. "We were able to establish ourselves again towards the end of the game. I'm proud of the guys and how hard they played for each other tonight."

 

The next 36 minutes were scoreless despite dangerous chances for both teams. Whitney denied Metro's Hector Banegas in the 77th minute, diving at the right post to smother the attempt.
 
Two minutes later, the Falcons' Trevor Lee had a penalty kick stopped after Nik Reierson was fouled in the box. MSU goalkeeper James Tanner dove to his left to deflect the free shot.
 
"We've said all along that things are not going to go our way all the time, but no matter what we just have to look at the next opportunity that we have. That's what we did tonight after their goal and our missed PK," Collings explained.
 
"We certainly could have hung our heads a couple different times, the goal they scored was a deflection that wrong-footed Kary and then we missed the penalty. No matter what though, our guys kept going and that's what makes me happy as a coach."
 
Metro applied pressure after SPU's go-ahead goal, but managed just one shot during the final two minutes despite two late corner kicks.
 
Whitney and Tanner were each credited with four saves and the Roadrunners posted a slim 11-9 edge in the shots category.
 
The Falcons men complete their two-game road trip on Saturday at Colorado Christian. Kick-off is 2 p.m. Pacific Time at Mountain Lion Stadium in Lakewood. CCU tied Western Washington 2-2 on Thursday.
 
"First of all we're going to enjoy this one," Collings said. "If there's one thing I've learned over the years it's that it's hard to win college soccer games.
 
"So we're going to take some time and enjoy this one and the effort our guys put in tonight. Then we'll get a good night's sleep, try to organize a good game plan tomorrow and see if we can put together another big effort Saturday afternoon."

 
NCAA MEN'S SOCCER
Thursday, September 7, 2017
Regency Athletic Complex / Denver, Colo.
 
Seattle Pacific 2, at Metro State 1
 
Scoring – 1, SPU, Mori Tsuchiya (Sam Malloch), 14:23; 2, MSU, Moritz Walther (fk), 51:08; 3, SPU, Tsuchiya (Julian White), 87:58.
 
                       1   2  --  TOTAL
Seattle Pacific        1   1  --    2
Metro State            0   1  --    1
 
Shots – SPU 9, MSU 11.
Saves – SPU 4 (Kary Whitney), MSU 4 (James Tanner).
Corner Kicks – SPU 5, MSU 5.
Fouls – SPU 12, MSU 16.
Offsides – SPU 2, MSU 3.
 
Records
Seattle Pacific 2-1-0
Metro State 0-3-0
 
Next SPU Men's Soccer Game
Seattle Pacific at Colorado Christian
Saturday, Sept. 9, 2:00 p.m. PDT
Mountain Lion Stadium / Lakewood, Colo.