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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
Sonoma State at Seattle Pacific
7:00 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
Chico State at Seattle Pacific
7:00 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
 
• Buy Tickets:  http://siteline.vendini.com/site/spufalcons.com
• Webcast for Both Games:  https://www.youtube.com/user/SPUsports
• LiveStats for Both Games:  http://www.sidearmstats.com/spu/msoc/
 
Seeking a return to the NCAA Division II playoffs after a three-year absence, the Seattle Pacific men begin the 2019 soccer season with a pair of home games. Coach Mark Collings' Falcons open on Thursday, Sept. 5 against Sonoma State, which won last year's meeting 2-1 in the second minute of overtime. Kick-off is 7 p.m. at Interbay Stadium where SPU clashes with Chico State on Sept. 7, also at 7 p.m. Saturday marks the 11th consecutive season SPU has encountered the Wildcats, who won the last three meetings.
 
Opening Act
The Falcons lost just three of their last 14 season openers, but a pair of those setbacks came in the last two years versus Chico State. SPU lost 2-0 at Chico in the 2018 lid-lifter and 2-1 at home in 2017. SPU has a 10-3-1 mark during that span and boasts a 33-10-8 record in all-time season-opening contests.
 
Buy Tickets in Advance
Tickets for SPU soccer games can be purchased online in advance at: http://siteline.vendini.com/site/spufalcons.com   Ticket windows open one hour prior to kickoff at Interbay Stadium (3027 17th Ave. W., Seattle 98119) for gameday purchases. All seats are general admission and priced at $7 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens. SPU students and staff are admitted free. Groups or teams of 10 or more may qualify for reduced ticket rates by calling (206) 281-2393 in advance.
 


Playoff Pursuit
The Falcons are vying for their 36th NCAA Division II Tournament berth. They participated in the playoffs five straight seasons from 2011-2015. SPU has won five national championships (1978, 1983, 1985, 1986 & 1993).
 
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 in 2018 and also topped the team with five assists for a 31-point total. 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. The cadre of returning regulars is bolstered by 10 new players on the roster, with seven incoming freshmen joining transfers Eduardo Calvo-Salinas (Portland), Musa Ali (Cal State Dominguez Hills) and Cam Welty (Cal State Monterey Bay).
 
GNAC Title Hunt
The SPU men won back-to-back Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) soccer championships, in 2014 and 2015, before Simon Fraser won the last three crowns. The Falcons seek their fourth league title since the GNAC was formed in 2001.

 

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 with a 4-8-0 mark. The team featured high-scoring forward Titus Grant, a first-team all-conference 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
 
This Week's Opponents
Sonoma State (4-10-3, 2-8-2 CCAA in 2018) -- The Seawolves return seven starters from last season's squad, a group that features a trio of attackers that accounted for 18 of the team's 19 goals in 2018. Sebastian Santos is back at the forward position from where he netted 10 goals, including the 92nd-minute golden goal for a 2-1 home win over Seattle Pacific on Sept. 21, 2018 in Rohnert Park. Returnees Luis Diaz-Mendoza and Brian Field each tallied four goals a year ago. The Seawolves are coached for the 29th season by Marcus Zeimer, who has amassed 338 career wins. Despite last season's 2-1 overtime setback, SPU boasts a 14-3-5 all-time series lead over Sonoma.
 
Chico State (13-6-1, 9-3-0 CCAA in 2018) -- Six starters return from the Wildcats squad that had a 13-6-1 record last year and qualified for the NCAA playoffs.  A pair of honorable mention All-CCAA defenders highlight the list of returnees; Justin Bethke and Garrett Hogbin. They helped Chico compile 11 shutouts while outscoring foes 26-11. Midfielder Eddie Zecena was the 2018 CCAA Freshman of the Year. Felipe Restrepo is in his 12th season as head coach, having directed the Wildcats to 118 victories and six NCAA Division II Tournament berths. Chico won the last three meetings versus SPU to gain a 21-20-3 edge in the all-time series. The Wildcats were 2-0 home victors in the 2018 opener after winning 2-1 at SPU in 2017 and 3-2 at Chico in 2016. This will be the 11th consecutive year these two teams have met.

 

Coach Collings
Mark Collings enters his 12th season as head coach at his alma mater. He has directed Seattle Pacific to a 119-57-30 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 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.
 
The Schedule
A mid-season stretch of six straight home contests highlights the 18-game Seattle Pacific men's soccer schedule that features 10 home contests at Interbay Stadium. The homestand opens with the final two non-conference games, versus Point Loma (Sept. 26) and Azusa Pacific (Sept. 28). Then, GNAC play starts against Western Washington (Oct. 3) before three-time league champion Simon Fraser visits (Oct. 5). The Falcons complete their three-week homestand against NNU (Oct. 10) and MSUB (Oct. 12).
 
Next Week
The SPU men hit the road for two games in the Midwest. They visit Colorado Mines on Sept. 13 at 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time and then West Texas A&M on Sept. 16 at 5 p.m. Those games could have major playoff implications under the new Super Regional format implemented for 2019 NCAA Division II Tournament selection.