WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21
Seattle Pacific at Saint Martin's
3:00 p.m. PDT, Saints Field, Lacey, Wash. (spectators not allowed)
 
• Webcast:  https://www.youtube.com/c/SMUAthleticsYT
• LiveStats:  https://smusaints.com/sidearmstats/msoc/summary
 
SATURDAY, MAY 1
Tacoma Defiance at Seattle Pacific (exhibition)
12:00 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash. (spectators not allowed)
 
• Webcast:  https://www.youtube.com/user/SPUsports
• LiveStats:  http://www.sidearmstats.com/spu/msoc/
 
A chance to avenge its lone loss is available for the Seattle Pacific men's soccer team, which returns to action for the first time in over a week. The Falcons (2-1-0) make the short trip south to Lacey, Washington to play at Saint Martin's (2-5-1) on Wednesday, April 21. Kick-off is 3 p.m. at Saints Field. SMU won this year's first meeting, 2-1, on an 89th-minute goal. The Falcons then host an exhibition versus the Tacoma Defiance of the USL on Saturday, May 1 at noon. Spectators are not permitted at Interbay Stadium.
 
Falcons Fodder
SPU implemented a different lineup in its three games, including an entirely different starting 11 in each of the two games. Ten players made their SPU starting debut on March 27 with Titus Grant being the only veteran in that lineup. Grant produced the game-winning goal in that contest on a 54th-minute penalty kick ... Tyler Speer, who netted a goal in each half on March 27 to lead SPU to a 3-1 home victory over Pacific Lutheran, received the GNAC men's soccer Offensive Player of the Week award on Mar. 29. Those were the first two goals of Speer's collegiate career and they came in his inaugural starting assignment for the Falcons. He scored on both of his shot attempts.
 
Super Sam
Senior midfielder Sam Malloch is tied for team honors with two goals this season. But it's how those goals were scored that is most impressive. He finished a fabulous 16th-minute free kick in the March 24 season opener with Saint Martin's. Malloch spotted the ball 26 yards from the goal and sent a low strike inside the left post, out of reach from the diving goalkeeper. His second score ended the April 10 home clash with Puget Sound, a golden goal 33 seconds into overtime. Malloch's two goals came on just three shots this season and all of his attempts have been on frame. He has six career goals and 10 assists.

SAM MALLOCH FREE KICK GOAL VS. SMU (Mar. 24, 2021)

Throw-In
The Falcons are outscoring opponents by a 7-5 margin on the strength of a 51-30 advantage in the total shots category. Alex Mejia tops SPU with seven shots this season.
 
Abbreviated Schedule
The Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced Jan. 8 that there would not be a league season so the Falcons fended for themselves in finding opponents. SPU will likely play fewer games than in any of its previous 52 seasons, with the least being eight games in both 1968 and 1969. There are currently six counting games scheduled, four of them at home and two on the road, along with a May 1 home exhibition versus the Tacoma Defiance of the USL. There may be additional games added with a possibility of games being postponed or cancelled if COVID issues arise.
 
2020-21 Season Preview
Nine starters return from last season's team that won its final four games, including five of the top-six point producers. Headlining the list of returnees is first-team All-GNAC forward Titus Grant. The senior forward led the squad with nine goals in 2019 and also topped the team with seven assists for a 25-point total. Also back is senior Alex Mejia, who netted four goals last season, senior Sam Malloch (2 goals/6 assists), junior Alden Massey (2/4) and junior Ed Weise (2/1). A trio of starters return on the backline in honorable mention All-GNAC selections Nik Reierson and Travis Swallow along with Weise. That returning talent is bolstered by nine newcomers. Seven incoming freshmen are joined by transfers Owen Gortner (Loyola Marymount) and Cade Cooke (Everett CC). Junior Lars Helleren is back with 26 goalkeeper starts to his credit.
 
Upcoming Opponents
 

Saint Martin's (2-5-1) -- The Saints suffered a pair of 1-0 losses in their last two outings, most recently an overtime setback at Western Washington on April 14. One of their two wins came at Seattle Pacific, on March 24. That 2-1 victory came via Stephen Murray's goalmouth put-back off a goalkeeper save with 95 seconds left to play. Arjun Gill and Caden Martin pace the Saints with two goals apiece while David Settle tops the team with three assists. Goalkeeper Hunter Askland has a 1.86 goals against average. The Saints top returning scorer is senior forward Jason Fairhurst, who compiled five goals and five assists in 2019. The Falcons lead the all-time series 21-5-1 and swept both matchups with SMU in 2019. SPU won the first meeting 3-1 on Oct. 24, 2019 in Lacey behind two goals and an assist from Titus Grant. He had a goal and assist in the rematch, on Nov. 9 in Seattle, that the Falcons won 3-2.
 
Tacoma Defiance (0-0-0) -- The Defiance are the USL Championship affiliate of Seattle Sounders FC. They begin 2021 regular-season play on May 9 at LA Galaxy II. Tacoma had a 4-2-10 record last season. Wade Webber was promoted to head coach in February after three years as an assistant with the Defiance. He is a former longtime player from the Sounders USL era who made 53 MLS appearance for Dallas and Miami from 1997-99. Forward Aex Diaz scored six goals to lead Tacoma's attack in 2020. Returning goalkeeper Christian Herrera had six shutouts and a 1.80 goals against average last year. SPU and the Defiance have never played before.
 
Coach Collings
Mark Collings is in his 13th season as head coach at his alma mater. He has directed Seattle Pacific to a 128-67-31 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 53-year history of SPU men's soccer. Collings collected his third GNAC Coach of the Year award in 2015 (also 2010 & 2014). He 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.
 
2019 Season Review
The Falcons won their final four games to vault into third place in the final GNAC standings with a 6-6-0 record. They compiled a 7-9-1 overall mark against a schedule ranked among the nation's most difficult. Four losses came against teams ranked in the final poll and two others were ranked when they met. SPU featured first-team All-GNAC forward Titus Grant, who ranked second among GNAC players in goals (9) and points (25) and was third in assists (7). Four Falcons were honorable mention All-GNAC picks: Sam Malloch, Nik Reierson, Eduardo Calvo-Salinas and Travis Swallow.