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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3
Western Washington at Seattle Pacific
7:00 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5
(#24) Simon Fraser at Seattle Pacific
7:00 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
 
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A challenging start to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's soccer slate awaits Seattle Pacific. The Falcons (1-3-1) host teams projected to finish one-two by the coaches poll, this week at Interbay Stadium. Western Washington (3-3-0) visits on Thursday at 7 p.m. The Northwest rivals split last season's meetings, each winning on its home field. On Saturday, Oct. 5, 24th-ranked Simon Fraser (3-1-0) invades Seattle for a 7 p.m. contest. The Clan won the last three encounters after SPU tied then No. 2 Simon Fraser 1-1 on Sept. 21, 2017 in Seattle. These are games three and four of the Falcons' six-game homestand.
 
Ranked Foes
This the is the third straight week the Falcons encounter a ranked opponent. They visited No. 6 West Texas A&M on Sept. 16, played No. 3 Azusa Pacific on Sept. 28 and host No. 24 Simon Fraser on Oct. 5. SPU is winless in its last 12 meetings against ranked opponents with an 0-9-3 record since the last triumph, a 1-0 home decision over No. 22 Northwest Nazarene on Oct. 11, 2014. Factored into that record is an 0-6-1 mark versus top-10 teams, including two losses to No. 1 Simon Fraser last year.


 
Super Shot Stoppers
SPU has two different goalkeepers with a double-digit save game during the same season for the first time since 1972 when Rex Yoder (14) and Dave Landry (12) accomplished the feat. Lars Helleren stopped 10 Sonoma State shots on Sept. 5 and Jordan Marwood compiled 12 saves at West Texas A&M on Sept. 16. Marwood's dozen stops are the most for a Falcon since Ken Hall had a 13-save effort on Nov. 22, 1975. The SPU school record of 14 saves was established by Yoder, who did it twice in 1972.
 
Last Week
The Falcons closed out non-conference by splitting two home games against quality opponents. A remarkable run of four unanswered goals, capped by Titus Grant's golden goal, highlighted a 4-3 overtime win over Point Loma (Sept. 26). SPU trailed 3-0 after 26 minutes before goals by Ed Weise, Mario Vukic and Alex Mejia (with 3:10 left in regulation) evened the score. A pair of second-half goals lifted third-ranked Azusa Pacific to a 2-0 win (Sept. 28). The Falcons failed to finish several quality chances, including one cleared off the line by a defender. Goalkeeper Jordan Marwood saved six shots for SPU.
 
Falcons Fast Fact
SPU is winless in its last three GNAC openers, going 0-2-1 in first conference contests since defeating Saint Martin's 1-0 on Sept. 19, 2015 in Lacey, Wash.
 
Cancelling Chico
SPU's Sept. 7 home game versus Chico State was stopped in the 35th minute and eventually cancelled due to persistent lightning. All stats from that game were voided, including an eighth-minute header by defender Ed Weise that gave SPU a 1-0 lead.

 

2019 Season Preview
Seattle Pacific was projected for a fourth-place finish by the GNAC coaches, but the talent is on hand to place much higher. Eight starters return from last year's team, including the top-five goal scorers. Headlining the list of returnees is first-team All-GNAC forward Titus Grant. The junior led the squad with 13 goals and five assists in 2018. Also back is sophomore Alden Massey, who netted six goals last season, sophomore Jake Ferry who had three and juniors Travis Swallow and Alex Mejia, who each scored twice. A trio of starters return on the backline in addition to holding midfielder Jose Benavides, a 2018 honorable mention All-GNAC honoree. Falcons defenders Nik Reierson and Ed Weise were similarly recognized by the conference.
 
This Week's Opponents
Western Washington (3-3-0, 0-0-0 GNAC) -- The Vikings were projected for a second-place GNAC finish in the preseason coaches poll. Five of their six games have been decided by one-goal margins. Western got the same results as SPU last week, beating Point Loma (2-1) and losing to Azusa Pacific (2-1, ot). Four players are tied for WWU scoring honors with two goals apiece; Georg Cholewa, Drew Farnsworth, Ryan Schaefer and Camron Miller. Goalkeeper Brandon Wolter has one clean sheet and a 1.58 goals against average. The Falcons own a 48-17-9 lead in the all-time series and the teams split two games in 2018. SPU was a 2-1 victor at home on Oct. 11 on goals by Titus Grant and Jake Ferry. The Vikings won the rematch, 5-1, on Oct. 27 in Bellingham.
 
Simon Fraser (3-1-0, 0-0-0 GNAC) -- The No. 24-ranked Clan 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 captured the last three crowns. Simon Fraser is outscoring opponents 7-3 led by the two goals and two assists of Matteo Polisi and two goals from Marcello Polisi. Goalkeeper Aidan Bain has one shutout and a 0.73 goals against average. Simon Fraser owns a 28-24-7 edge in the series after winning the last three matchups. The Clan swept SPU last season, winning 6-1 on Oct. 6 in Seattle behind a Matteo Polisi hat trick, and 2-1 on Oct. 25 in Burnaby. SFU was ranked No. 1 nationally at the time of both meetings.
 
Coach Collings
Mark Collings enters his 12th season as head coach at his alma mater. He has directed Seattle Pacific to a 120-60-31 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 51-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.
 
2018 Season Review
The young Seattle Pacific men's squad owned a winning record late in the 2018 campaign before ending the season with five straight losses, four of them one-goal decisions, to drop to 8-11-0 on the year. The Falcons, with eight underclassmen as primary starters, finished sixth in the GNAC standings at 4-8-0. They featured high-scoring forward Titus Grant, a first-team All-GNAC and third-team All-West Region honoree whose 13 goals and 31 points ranked third in the league. He tallied at least one point in nine of the final 11 games, with 11 goals and two assists during that stretch. Grant was the first Falcon to achieve a double-figure scoring season since Tyler Shultz netted 16 goals in 2011. Grant registered a rapid hat trick with three goals in an 8-minute, 19-second first-half span during a 3-2 home win on Oct. 13. Alden Massey, a second-team All-GNAC selection, contributed six goals. Holding midfielder Jose Benavides and defenders Nik Reierson and Ed Weise were honorable mention All-GNAC honorees.
 
Next Week
The Falcons close out the long Interbay Stadium stand next week, hosting Northwest Nazarene on Oct. 10 and Montana State Billings on Oct. 12. Kick-off for both is 7 p.m.