• FINAL STATS (pdf)    |    • VIDEO: Lars  Helleren

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4
U-Mary at Seattle Pacific
7:00.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
• Webcast:  https://portal.stretchinternet.com/spu/ 
• LiveStats:  www.sidearmstats.com/spu/msoc/
 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6
(#1) Simon Fraser at Seattle Pacific
7:00.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
• Webcast:  https://portal.stretchinternet.com/spu/ 
• LiveStats:  www.sidearmstats.com/spu/msoc/
 
After playing eight of their first 10 games on the road, the Seattle Pacific men (5-5-0, 2-2-0 GNAC) are finally home to host six straight games at Interbay Stadium. The three-week homestand begins on Thursday, Oct. 4 when U-Mary visits for the Falcons final non-conference contest. The Marauders (2-5-1) are winless in 12 all-time meetings versus SPU with an 0-11-1 record in those encounters that includes losses in each of the last five matchups. The nation's top-ranked NCAA Division II team invades Seattle on Saturday, Oct. 6 for a 7 p.m. clash. Undefeated Simon Fraser (9-0-0, 3-0-0) won the last two Great Northwest Athletic Conference titles, dethroning 2014 and 2015 champion Seattle Pacific. The homestand continues with four more games, ending on Oct. 20 against MSU Billings.
 
Top-Ranked Foe
The last time the Falcons played the nation's top-ranked team they emerged victorious. SPU upset No. 1 Simon Fraser 2-1 on Oct. 3, 2013 in Seattle.
 
Get Tickets in Advance
Falcons fans can now obtain tickets in advance for all home events. Buy tickets online at: http://siteline.vendini.com/site/spufalcons.com   Tickets are also available at the venue on game day. All seats for SPU soccer are general admission and priced at $7 for adults and $5 for youth and senior citizens. SPU students and staff are admitted free. For reduced group and team rates please call (206) 281-2393 in advance.
 


Youth Movement
All three SPU multi-goal scorers are underclassmen. Freshman Alden Massey and sophomore Titus Grant are tied for team-high honors with four goals apiece while red-shirt freshman Jake Ferry has two. Six of the nine Falcons who scored a goal are underclassmen, accounting for 13 of the team's 16 tallies. Freshmen (35) and sophomores (38) account for 73 of SPU's 110 total starts.
 
Shuffling Lineup
SPU has implemented eight different lineups and used the same starting group in back-to-back games for the first time last week. Only four players have started every game (Jose Benavides, Luke Postma, Nik Reierson, Ed Wiese). Eight players have debuted with SPU this year and freshmen Lars Helleren, Alden Massey, Mario Vukic and Ed Weise each drew at least seven starts.
 
Balanced Attack
Nine different players have accounted for the 17 SPU tallies with just three multi-goal scorers. Playmaking duties have also been spread out as the 12 assists were distributed by seven different players. Titus Grant tops the team with three assists.
 
Throw-Ins
The Falcons out-scored opponents 7-1 in its two home games, but have a 10-14 deficit on the road ... Freshman Alden Massey netted three goals in the first half on Sept. 15 versus Hawaii Hilo, the first hat trick by a Falcon since Stephen MacDonald did it on Sept. 10, 2016 ... Quick-starting SPU is out-scoring opponents by a combined 12-4 count in the first half of games ... The Falcons played short-handed in their first two games, losses at Chico State and Sonoma State. Titus Grant drew two yellow cards on Aug. 30 and Sam Rucklos was shown red on Sept. 1.
 
Last Week
A four-game road trip concluded with two GNAC victories. Chris Cole's goal with 44 seconds remaining lifted the Falcons to a 3-2 win at Montana State Billings (Sept. 27). Titus Grant netted the lone goal in the 13th minute and goalkeeper Lars Helleren made seven saves to pick up his first shutout in a 1-0 victory at Saint Martin's (Sept. 29).
 
This Week's Opponents
University of Mary (2-5-1, 0-0-0 Northern Sun) -- The Marauders hail from Bismarck, N.D. and are former GNAC members for men's soccer only from 2012-14. U-Mary is winless in its last four outings after a 2-0 home win over Colorado Christian on Sept. 9. They have a tie and three defeats in that span, including home setbacks against GNAC opponents Simon Fraser (5-0) and MSU Billings (1-0). Adam Stringer's two goals lead U-Mary. Goalkeeper Lukas Billhardt has two shutouts and a 1.50 goals against average. SPU owns an 11-0-1 series lead after winning the last meeting 4-0 on Oct. 10, 2015 in Bismarck. The Falcons won the last five since a 1-1 draw on Oct. 18, 2012 at U-Mary.
 
Simon Fraser (9-0-0, 3-0-0 GNAC) -- The No. 1-ranked and first-place Clan are perfect through games, out-scoring opponents 32-3. 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 and 2017. The Falcons finished second in last year's GNAC standings. Goalkeeper Luciano Trasolini has five shutouts and a 0.33 goals against average. Matteo Polisi leads the attack with nine goals and eight assists. Connor Glennon has eight goals and Mamadi Camara seven. Simon Fraser holds a slim 26-24-7 edge in the all-time series after winning the last matchup 2-0 on Nov. 4, 2017 in Burnaby. The Northwest rivals tied 1-1 in last year's first encounter, Sept. 21 in Seattle.

 

Coach Collings
Mark Collings enters his 11th season as head coach at his alma mater. He has directed Seattle Pacific to a 116-51-30 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 is the third head coach in the 51-year history of SPU men's soccer. He 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.
 
2018 Preview
SPU was projected to replicate last season's runner-up result according to the preseason GNAC coaches poll. Last year, the Falcons posted an 11-5-1 record, but were absent from the NCAA Division II Tournament field for only the second time since 2010. They finished second in the GNAC standings with a 7-4-1 record, just two points back of Simon Fraser. Five starters return from last year's team, including senior goalkeeper Kary Whitney, who opened all but one game last season while compiling a 1.43 goals against average. The defense features returning senior starters Jacob Bohl and Luke Postma. Sophomore Jose Benavides, an honorable mention All-GNAC performer, is back to bolster the midfield. The SPU offense looks to replace its top-four point producers. Sophomore Alex Mejia is the top returning scorer with eight points, on three goals and two assists. Junior forward Samuel Agyei netted two goals last year. The cadre of returning regulars is bolstered by six players that started at least once in 2017, along with eight true freshmen and University of Portland transfer Reid Baez.
 
Next Week
The Falcons remain home to host Western Washington on Oct. 11 at 4:30 p.m. before Northwest Nazarene visits on Oct. 13 for a 7 p.m. contest at Interbay Stadium.