SEATTLE – Alden Massey continued his hot streak with an early goal Thursday and Nik Reierson netted a necessary second-half penalty kick for eighth-ranked Seattle Pacific, which held off Northwest Nazarene, 2-1, in a clash of the only undefeated men's soccer teams in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
 
The Falcons (8-1-0) fifth straight victory preserved their perfect league record that improved to 2-0-0. Both GNAC results were one-goal wins at Interbay Stadium, including Saturday's 4-3 overtime decision that Massey ended with a 105th-minute golden goal.
 
SPU is off to its best start in seven seasons, dating to the 2014 team whose only blemish through a comparable nine-game stretch was a tie. That squad went undefeated (14-0-1) through its first 15 games.
 
The Nighthawks (5-4-0) fell to 2-1-0 in GNAC play, but didn't make it easy on SPU. Ethan Atterberry trimmed a two-goal deficit to 2-1 with an unassisted strike at 79:53, forcing the Falcons to repel multiple forays in the final 10 minutes. Atterberry found the ball in the center of the box, 13 yards from the goal, and quickly drove a left-footed shot through the defense.
 
"Overall, a good performance. Alden came up big for the first goal," said SPU interim head coach Kevin Sakuda.
 
"We moved the ball well today and created some chances, but they were tough to break down today. NNU was disciplined and defended well, so it wasn't easy. They got that late one and it definitely made it a lot closer."
 
Massey found the goal for the fifth time in the last six outings. His brilliant left-footed, first-timer from 25 yards out snuck inside the right post at 24:40. He increased his career total to 15 goals.
 
ALDEN MASSEY GOAL

A senior forward, Massey ranks second on the team in both goals (5) and total points (13) this season. He trails in both categories to Alex Mejia, who was kept off the scoreboard for the first time in a month. The GNAC scoring leader with eight goals, Mejia had his six-game scoring streak halted.
 
Judah Johnston and Tyler Speer were credited with assists on the Falcons first goal.
 
Johnston also played a role in the second SPU score, getting tripped in the right side of the box by the Nighthawks' Brandon Parsio and earning his team a penalty kick. Reierson stepped to the 12-yard spot and directed his free shot into the lower right corner at 62:24 to provide a 2-0 lead.
 
"Nik's a good soccer player, he's clean," Sakuda described. "In that moment you want someone who is confident and be the guy that's going to step up. He did it."
 
Reierson scored for the second time this season with the fourth goal of his career. The senior defender tallied his first game-winning goal.

NIK REIERSON INTERVIEW

FRENETIC FINISH
The hosts were outshot by a 12-9 margin and faced a barrage of five unanswered shots during the final nine minutes. Four of those attempts were on frame, forcing the Falcons to come up with four saves to secure the win.
 
NNU's Jimmy Koufidakis created consecutive shots in the 82nd minute. The first was blocked and the second cleared off the line by defender Donovahn Alen for a team save.
 
"We made some changes at the end just to settle the game down a little bit," said Sakuda. "Donovahn made a clearance off the line, guys blocked shots, it was just a great mentality just to close it out."
 
Lars Helleren had a busy final stretch and produced two stellar saves in the 86th minute. SPU's senior goalkeeper finished with three saves.
 
His Nighthawks' counterpart, Sawyer Price, made one save.
 
NEXT GAME
The Seattle Pacific men remain at home to host Saint Martin's on Saturday afternoon. Kick-off is 4:30 p.m. at Interbay Stadium.
 
NCAA MEN'S SOCCER
Thursday, October 7, 2021
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.
 
at (#8) Seattle Pacific 2, Northwest Nazarene 1
 
Scoring – 1, SPU, Alden Massey (Tyler Speer, Judah Johnston), 24:40; 2, SPU, Nik Reierson (PK), 62:24; 3, SPU, Ethan Atterberry (unassisted), 79:53.
 
                          1   2  --  TOTAL
Northwest Nazarene        0   1  --    1
Seattle Pacific           1   1  --    2
 
Shots – NNU 12, SPU 9.
Shots on Goal – NNU 5, SPU 3.
Saves – NNU 1 (Sawyer Price), SPU 4 (Lars Helleren 3, Team 1).
Corner Kicks – NNU 3, SPU 1.
Fouls – NNU 15, SPU 21.
Offsides – NNU 2, SPU 1.
 
Records
Northwest Nazarene 5-4-0, 2-1-0 GNAC
Seattle Pacific 8-1-0, 2-0-0 GNAC
 
Next SPU Men's Soccer Game
Saint Martin's at Seattle Pacific
Saturday, October 9, 4:30 p.m. PDT
Interbay Stadium / Seattle, Wash.