• STATS (pdf)
• VIDEO: Mario Vukic goal
• VIDEO: Nik Reierson goal
• VIDEO: Nik Reierson interview
• VIDEO: Titus Grant goal
SEATTLE –
Titus Grant tallied a goal in each half and assisted on another Thursday for the Seattle Pacific men, who erupted for five goals against Northwest Nazarene in a 5-2 Great Northwest Athletic Conference soccer triumph at Interbay Stadium.
The Falcons (2-5-1) halted a three-game losing skid en route to their first league victory. They are now 1-2-0 in GNAC play.
Grant started the scoring just 6-minutes, 13-seconds into the contest.
Nik Reierson doubled SPU's lead in the 11th minute and
Mario Vukic scored on a brilliant move in the 40th minute.
The Nighthawks spoiled the shutout at 57:37 after an SPU defender was whistled for a hand ball in the box. Lorenzo Valentini slipped the ensuing penalty kick low inside the right post to narrow the visitors' deficit to 3-1.
The margin was extended when SPU's lone senior,
Trevor Lee, got on the board at 80:26 on a goal created by passes from Grant and
Travis Swallow. Lee's 13-yard finish was followed 20 seconds later by the Falcons' fifth and final goal, a 16-yard strike from Grant.
Sam Malloch registered his second assist of the night on that play.
The goals by Reierson and Lee were their first of the season and the second career tally for each of them.
"We finished our chances tonight," said SPU coach
Mark Collings. "We've been talking a lot about the quality opportunities that we've been generating and unfortunately we haven't been finishing them. We've been digging ourselves a hole by conceding early goals and tonight we didn't.
"We were able to jump on them and establish ourselves early. It's more difficult for the opposition when they have to chase the game like that with how we're going to play."
Valentini capped the scoring with 3:37 left to play, notching his second goal for the Nighthawks (4-4-0), a five-yard tap in from a feed by Braeden Anderson. They dropped to 0-2-0 in conference contests.
Freshman goalkeeper
Jordan Marwood started and made three saves for the Falcons before giving way to
Cam Welty in the 84th minute. A red-shirt freshman transfer from Cal State Monterey Bay, Welty made his SPU debut and played between the posts for the last 6:20.
The final shot count was level at 14-14, but the hosts made the most of their chances.
Neither NNU goalkeeper was credited with a save as the Falcons converted all five of their shots that were sent directly on goal. Sawyer Price came on in relief of starter Alex Nadermann at halftime.
SPU played the final 17 minutes with a man advantage after the Nighthawks Danny Cuevas was sent off after drawing back-to-back yellow cards just over one minute apart in the 73rd minute.
Grant's opening goal, in the seventh minute, was the Falcons quickest score of the season by far. Prior to Thursday they had not found the net until after the 34th minute.
The junior forward raced into the left side of the box chasing a through pass from
Alex Mejia before angling toward the end line. Grant tucked a low 12-yard shot, from a sharp angle, just inside the right post.
That was just the second time SPU notched the game's first goal, and the first time since the season opener on Sept. 5.
"Titus is the one who got us going and will be the one that we will continue to lean on," Collings said. "The biggest thing is that his finishing has improved so much. Two really good finishes on his end tonight."
SPU's second goal was initiated by a looping 45-yard pass from
Ed Weise in his defensive half.
Eduardo Calvo-Salinas collected the ball on the right flank and dribbled into the box before connecting with a teammate at the top of the box with a low cross. Reierson delivered a 17-yard, first-time attempt that kissed off the left post on its way into the goal at 10:37.
"
Nik Reierson's goal was great, showing the style of play that we want to have with our fullbacks getting forward," Collings explained. "He basically had the same shot in our last game, against Simon Fraser, that I'm not sure has landed yet. So it was great to see him finish this one. He's a big part of what we do."
The third goal was a crafty display of dexterity by Vukic for his third goal of the year. He received a pass from Malloch and dribbled down the right wing before encountering a defender. Vukic flicked the ball to his right and raced around the defender to the left, reuniting with the ball for a first-time, 14-yard blast to the lower left of the NNU goal at 39:47.
"A fire has really been lit under Mario and he has three goals now on the season," said Collings. "He's a free-flowing creative player and it was nice to see that come out. Mario has been adjusting to the college game and figuring out the periods where you just have to just kind of do the work versus when he can let his natural feel for the game come out."
The Falcons entered the halftime locker room with a lead for the first time all season, owning a 3-0 advantage.
Collings believes that last Saturday's 4-2 home loss to 24th-ranked Simon Fraser lit the fuse for Thursday's explosion of goals.
"The guys really believed coming out of that Simon Fraser game that we had let one get away from us. Even though we were down 3-0, they guys walking out of the stadium felt like we should have won that game.
"Winning games is hard so hopefully they are finding the recipe that it takes both mentally and physically and collectively as a unit. A lot of sports is momentum. Hopefully we can keep these guys in this form and this will allow us to establish our identity and we can build on this."
The Seattle Pacific men close out a six-game homestand on Saturday against Montana State Billings. Kick-off is 7 p.m. at Interbay Stadium.
NCAA MEN'S SOCCER
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.
at Seattle Pacific 5, Northwest Nazarene 2
Scoring – 1, SPU,
Titus Grant (
Alex Mejia), 6:13; 2, SPU,
Nik Reierson (
Eduardo Calvo-Salinas,
Ed Weise), 10:37; 3, SPU,
Mario Vukic (
Sam Malloch), 39:47; 4, NNU, Lorenzo Valentini (PK), 57:37; 5, SPU,
Trevor Lee (
Travis Swallow, Grant), 80:26; 6, SPU, Grant (Malloch), 80:46; 7, NNU, Valentini (Braeden Anderson), 86:23.
1 2 -- TOTAL
Northwest Nazarene 0 2 -- 2
Seattle Pacific 3 2 -- 5
Shots – NNU 14, SPU 14.
Shots on Goal -- NNU 5, SPU 5.
Saves – NNU 0 (Alex Nadermann, Sawyer Price), SPU 3 (
Jordan Marwood 3,
Cam Welty 0).
Corner Kicks – NNU 4, SPU 3.
Fouls – NNU 14, SPU 11.
Offsides – NNU 1, SPU 2.
Records
Northwest Nazarene 4-4-0, 0-2-0 GNAC
Seattle Pacific 2-5-1, 1-2-0 GNAC
Next SPU Men's Soccer Game
Montana State Billings at Seattle Pacific
Saturday, Oct. 12, 7:00 p.m. PDT
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.
