ROHNERT PARK, Calif. – Alex Mejia netted a goal early in each half Thursday, lifting the Seattle Pacific men to a 2-1 season-opening victory over Sonoma State in the coaching debut for interim head coach Kevin Sakuda at Seawolf Soccer Field.
 
Those were the 11th and 12th career scores for the senior forward, who picked up his second brace. Mejia previously tallied two goals in a Nov. 14, 2019 contest at Montana State.
 
The Falcons (1-0-0) started the season with a win for the first time since the 2015, getting a decision for Sakuda in his inaugural outing. He served six seasons as an assistant coach on the SPU women's soccer staff before moving into the men's top post with the departure of Mark Collings to the University of Washington.
 
The Falcons found joy on their first shot of the season, and the initial attempt for either team.
 
Mejia scored on a breakaway down the left flank 2-minutes, 22-seconds into the game. His second goal came on a header just 5:36 after halftime. That proved to be the decisive strike as the Seawolves (0-1-0) converted a penalty kick in the 56th minute to cut the lead in half.
 
"Alex Mejia was big-time today," Sakuda exclaimed. "Great finish on the first goal. He gets in behind and then keeps that distance and scores with his weak foot. He got up with good timing on the header for the second one. For those center backs, he's just a handful to deal with."

ALEX MEJIA 2ND GOAL

Despite being outshot 13-6 overall, and 7-2 during the second half, SPU held on for the one-goal decision.
 
Senior goalkeeper Lars Helleren preserved the win with nine saves, including the denial of a point-blank attempt by Evan Sadler with 10:55 left to play. Helleren pushed the shot past the right post for a corner kick.
 
College soccer returned to the traditional fall season after the 2020 season was postponed until the spring of 2021. SPU registered a 3-2-1 record in that abbreviated campaign during which the Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule was not played, nor was there an NCAA Division II Tournament.
 
SCORING SUMMARY
1 – Tyler Speer initiated the opening goal from the Falcons defensive half. His long pass down the left side found Alex Mejia streaking behind the Sonoma back line. Mejia dribbled 30 yards before angling toward the goal and finishing with a low shot from 15 yards out at 2:22.
 
2 – Mejia struck again at 50:36, rising above defenders to head the ball into the top-right corner. Defender Nik Reierson was credited with an assist after chipping a cross from the right edge of the 18-yard box.
 
3 – After SPU's Jose Benavides committed a foul just inside the top, center of the box, the referee whistled for a foul and awarded Sonoma a penalty-kick opportunity. Sean Rohane stepped to the 12-yard spot and tucked a low shot into the left side to draw the Seawolves within 2-1 at 55:34. Goalkeeper Lars Helleren guessed correctly and dove to his right, but the ball narrowly escaped his outstretched arms.
 
THROW-INS
• SPU improved its record to 34-11-8 in all-time season-opening games.
 
• Two players made their playing debuts in an SPU uniform, freshmen Demian Alvarez and Aaron Stapleton who each came in in a reserve role.
 
• Alex Mejia attempted three of the Falcons four shots with Judah Johnston getting the other.
 
• The Falcons increased their series lead over Sonoma to 15-3-5.
 
QUOTING COACH KEVIN SAKUDA
"I'm excited for the boys. It's a big win because Sonoma is a good team. The game was back-and-forth, probably a little too open at times for my liking. First game, we got some of that out of us.
 
"That was huge to get and early goal, not that it settled things, but it allowed us to settle into the game with the lead. In reality, goals change games. It forced them to maybe come out a little bit more. The second one, to go up 2-0, we were in a really good space. I could feel the momentum shifting, then it goes 2-1 and shifts the other way. But credit the guys, they continued to fight and grind it out.
 
NCAA MEN'S SOCCER
Thursday, September 2, 2021
Seawolf Soccer Field / Rohnert Park, Calif.
 
Seattle Pacific 2, at Sonoma State 1
 
Scoring – 1, SPU, Alex Mejia (Tyler Speer), 2:22; 2, SPU, Mejia (Nik Reierson), 50:36; 3, SSU, Sean Rohane (PK), 55:34.
 
                      1   2  --  TOTAL
Seattle Pacific       1   1  --    2
Sonoma State          0   1  --    1
 
Shots – SPU 6, SSU 13.
Shots on Goal – SPU 4, SSU 10.
Saves – SPU 9 (Lars Helleren), SSU 2 (Derik Engebretsen).
Corner Kicks – SPU 8, SSU 5.
Fouls – SPU 10, SSU 11.
Offsides – SPU 4, SSU 2.
 
Records
Seattle Pacific 1-0-0
Sonoma State 0-1-0