• FINAL STATS (pdf)

CANYON, Texas – Sixth-ranked West Texas A&M scored in the 35th minute and added two second-half goals Monday to defeat visiting Seattle Pacific, 3-0, in a non-conference men's soccer game at The Pitch.
 
The Buffaloes (3-0-0) remained undefeated while recording a 26-12 margin in the shot count. Stefan Andjelic netted the opening goal before insurance tallies by Jean-Luc Ramdin and Frencesco D'Aulerio secured the result.
 
SPU had some quality chances, two of them second-half shots from sophomore forward Mario Vukic.
 
In the 47th minute Nik Reierson delivered a cross from right side to the far post that Vukic flicked with his outside right foot, but it traveled high.
 
Another cross, in the 64th minute, created an even better opportunity. A long free kick to left side of the West Texas box was redirected across the goal and found Vukic alone near the right post. His first-time volley sailed over the crossbar.

 

SPU controlled the early run of play and unleashed the game's first three shots. The opening two salvos came in rapid succession off the foot of freshman Musa Ali. Buffaloes goalkeeper Alexander Vencel stopped the second of Ali's fifth-minute shots.
 
"I've been saying this and it's true -- goals change games," said SPU coach Mark Collings. "We had two really good looks early where we didn't finish them. Then we give up a goal on a bad turnover on our end."
 
The Falcons (0-2-1) were shut out for the second game on their Midwest road trip. They lost 1-0 at Colorado Mines on Friday.
 
Through three games SPU managed just one goal, coming in a 1-1 draw against Sonoma State. However, a goal by Ed Weise in the Sept. 7 home game versus Chico State was wiped from the official statistics as the game was cancelled due to persistent lightning with the Falcons leading 1-0 in the 35th minute.
 
On Monday, SPU was without the services of regular goalkeeper Lars Helleren, who had played every minute entering Monday's game. The sophomore shot-stopper was averaging 9.5 saves per game this year after starting 14 games as a red-shirt freshman in 2018.
 
Goalkeeper Debut
Helleren was sidelined with an injury, forcing freshman Jordan Marwood to make his collegiate debut. The freshman from Langley, B.C. was tested early and often. He stopped seven shots during the opening 45 minutes and four after halftime.
 
Marwood's initial stop may have been his best. Ramdin burst into the right side of box on the dribble with only the rookie goalkeeper in his path. His hard blast, the first shot of the game for West Texas, was deflected by Marwood for a corner kick.
 
"Jordan play well," Collings said. "He was put in a tough position, on the road against a really good team. But he played great. Certainly, the result doesn't have anything to do with his performance tonight."
 
The hosts eventually broke through at 34:55. Marius Longeanie intercepted an SPU pass and dribbled toward the arc atop the SPU box before slipping a through ball to the right side. That freed Andjelic with just the goalkeeper to beat and he took a touch before delivering a 10-yard blast into the right side of the goal.
 
West Texas compiled a 12-6 shot advantage in the first half and eight of those attempts were on target, forcing Marwood to make seven saves. An eighth save was credited to the Falcons team as a 17th-minute header by Kenny Brown from the right side carried over the onrushing SPU goalkeeper, but was cleared off the goal line by SPU defender Ed Weise.
 
Solid Start to Second Half
Seattle Pacific came out inspired to open the second half and applied early pressure.
 
"We came back and responded well in the second half and we had one, I thought. We should have finished inside the six to make it one-one," Collings described. "The game was pretty even in the second half at that point, if anything we were probably in their end a little bit more.
 
"We got caught a little bit in transition and they scored a really good goal to make it two. Then we kind of lost our assignments on a set piece and they got another one."
 
The Buffs added to their lead at 69:02 on a firm far-post header by Ramdin. Sean Ryan served a cross from just outside the box on the left side and Ramdin elevated to nod the ball between Marwood and the right post.
 
The final goal came at 72:30 on a corner kick from the left side by Jorge Callejas. He lofted a cross to the right post that was headed from the top of the 6-yard box inside the right post by D'Aulerio.
 
The SPU men take the rest of the week off from competition before beginning a stretch of six straight home games at Interbay Stadium. They host Point Loma on Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. to start the homestand.
 
NCAA MEN'S SOCCER
Monday, September 16, 2019
The Pitch / Canyon, Texas
 
at (#6) West Texas A&M 3, Seattle Pacific 0
 
Scoring – 1, WT, Stefan Andjelic (Marius Longeanie), 34:51; 2, WT, Jean-Luc Ramdin (Sean Ryan), 69:02; 3, WT, Francesco D'Aulerio (Jorge Callejas), 72:30.
 
                       1   2  --  TOTAL
Seattle Pacific        0   0  --    0
West Texas A&M         1   2  --    3
 
Shots – SPU 12, WT 26.
Saves – SPU 12 (Jordan Marwood 11, Team 1), WT 4 (Alexander Vencel).
Corner Kicks – SPU 4, WT 5.
Fouls – SPU 7, WT 13.
Offsides – SPU 1, WT 2.
 
Records
Seattle Pacific 0-2-1
West Texas A&M 3-0-0
 
Next SPU Men's Soccer Game
Point Loma at Seattle Pacific
Thursday, Sept. 26, 7:00 p.m. PDT
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.