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SEATTLE – Ryan Schaefer tallied a goal in each half Thursday, lifting Western Washington to a 3-1 men's soccer win over Seattle Pacific at Interbay Stadium in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference opener for both teams.
 
The Falcons (1-4-1) suffered their second straight setback despite getting an equalizer from Titus Grant in the 56th minute. Schaefer started the scoring just 32 seconds into the contest and then netted what proved to be the game-winner in the 77th minute.
 
Alessandro Tomasi tacked on an insurance goal with 5:10 remaining to secure the Viking's second straight win.
 
"We've been our own worst enemies at the start of games, letting teams get on us and then it puts us under more pressure," said SPU coach Mark Collings. "They completely took us out of what we wanted to do in the first half and played more to their strengths."
 
Western (4-3-0) compiled  19-9 shot advantage, but had only a 5-4 edge in attempts directly on target.
 
Brandon Locke registered three saves for the visitors while SPU goalkeeper Jordan Marwood stopped two shots.
 
The first-minute goal got the Vikings off to a dream start and they maintained that 1-0 lead into halftime. Christian Rotter dribbled into the right side of the box before serving a low cross across the goal area. Schaefer re-directed the ball into the lower left corner from six yards out.
 
Alden Massey accounted for three of the Falcons' nine shots. He nearly drew the hosts even in the 50th minute, creating space in the left side of the box. Massey's 11-yard shot was sent directly to the goalkeeper near the left post.
 
Grant leveled the score at 56:00, running on to a loose ball at the left side of the box and firing a shot that glanced off a Vikings defender. The ball trickled toward the far post and across the goal line right before the Falcons' Jake Ferry tapped it in to guarantee the score.


 
Grant was credited with his second goal of the season and the 16th of his career.
 
"In the second half we were very good at the beginning," Collings described. "We moved the ball very well and got rewarded with a goal. Then we got caught probably being a little greedy and they catch us in transition. The last goal we were pushing forward and you're going to take those chances at that point."
 
The go-ahead goal came on a counter attack. Johan Espinoza lined the ball goalward from the left side of the box and Scheafer raced to the top of the 6-yard box with a first-time finish to the lower left with 13:20 left to play.
 
WWU continued to pressure the Falcons goal. With 5:30 left to play, Rotter hit a shot at a sharp angle from the left side of the box that slammed off the right post and rebounded bask across the goal, but did not cross the line.
 
Twenty seconds later Tomasi secured the outcome. His header from the top of the 6-yard box high into the center of the SPU goal, came off a cross from Dakota Stamnes on the right flank at 84:50.
 
The SPU men remain home to host 24th-ranked Simon Fraser on Saturday. Kick-off is 7 p.m. at Interbay Stadium. That marks the third consecutive week they play a ranked opponent after losing 3-0 at No. 6 West Texas A&M on Sept. 16 and 2-0 versus No. 3 Azusa Pacific on Sept. 28.
 
"Unfortunately the way that college soccer is, it's not very forgiving. You don't have very much time to regroup," Collings said. "There may be a little bit of lack of belief in the group so when things get tough we deviate from what our game plan is. If we can just maintain our discipline and continue to attack teams the way that we want to we'll be just fine."
 
SPU did not lead at halftime in any of its six games this season, having trailed in three of them and going to the locker room tied in the others.
 
A remedy for the slow starts is needed, according to Collings.
 
"We've got to find a way to be better in the first half. The last few games we've really put ourselves in a hole in the first half then we have to come out and dig ourselves out. That's just a tough way to play and to win.
 
"Obviously defensively we've got to find a way to tighten some things up. We're really close and I still really believe in this group, it's just a matter of if we can start to turn the tide."
 
NCAA MEN'S SOCCER
Thursday, October 3, 2019
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.
 
Western Washington 3, at Seattle Pacific 1
 
Scoring – 1, WWU, Ryan Schaefer (Christian Rotter), 0:32; 2, SPU, Titus Grant (unassisted), 56:00; 3, WWU, Schaefer (Johan Espinoza), 76:40; 4, WWU, Alessandro Tomasi (Dakota Stamnes), 84:50.
 
                       1   2  --  TOTAL
Western Washington     1   2  --    3
Seattle Pacific        0   1  --    1
 
Shots – WWU 19, SPU 9.
Shots on Goal -- WWU 5, SPU 4.
Saves – Western Washington 3 (Brandon Locke), SPU 2 (Jordan Marwood).
Corner Kicks – WWU 1, SPU 2.
Fouls – WWU 16, SPU 18.
Offsides – WWU 2, SPU 0.
 
Records
Western Washington 4-3-0,  1-0-0 GNAC
Seattle Pacific 1-4-1,  0-1-0 GNAC
 
Next SPU Men's Soccer Game
(#24) Simon Fraser at Seattle Pacific
Saturday, Oct. 5, 7:00 p.m. PDT
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.