SEATTLE – When the Seattle Pacific Falcons begin their Great Northwest Athletic Conference portion of their men's soccer schedule in September, they'll kick off against brand new team.
 
But before that, they'll kick off the upcoming campaign against a pair of very familiar foes.
 
SPU will open its 2022 schedule on Thursday, Aug. 25, by welcoming Chico State to Interbay Stadium with a 7:00 p.m. kickoff. Then on Saturday the 27th, Sonoma State comes to town for a 3:00 p.m. contest.
 
This will mark the sixth season in a row – not counting 2020, which was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic – that the Falcons have gotten going against their rivals from the California Collegiate Athletic Association in the first two games of the year. Of those six openers, four have been against Sonoma, the other two against Chico.
 
Last fall, Seattle Pacific swept both opponents on the road, 2-1 at Sonoma and 1-0 in overtime at Chico.
 
A season-opening three-game homestand concludes on Saturday, Sept. 3 against West Texas A&M, which is ranked No. 17 in the United Soccer Coaches national preseason poll.
 
The Buffs will be one of two nationally ranked teams on SPU's preseason slate. The other is No. 20 Colorado Mines, which will host the Falcons at the end of a two-game Rocky Mountain road trip on Saturday, Sept. 10. That trek to Colorado begins on Sept. 8 in Denver against Regis
 
 

"We are set up to play at least one team from every conference in our Super Region (Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, California Collegiate Athletic Association, Lone Star Conference, and Pacific West Conference)," head coach Kevin Sakuda said. "We know how difficult it is to make the NCAA Tournament. Each of these out-of-conference games play a huge part in showcasing our team against other conferences and giving us the opportunity to play in the postseason."
 
Non-conference action concludes with two more at home, against Point Loma Nazarene on Sept. 15, and Concordia Irvine on Sept. 17.
 
"We are excited about the schedule we have this year," Sakuda said. "We open the year at home against three quality opponents, then travel to Colorado to play two top RMAC teams. We finish out with two home games against Point Loma and Concordia Irvine. We are excited to have five of those games at home, in our stadium, in front of our amazing fans."
 
The GNAC opener for Seattle Pacific is at home against Western Oregon on Thursday, Sept. 22 at 4:30 p.m. This is the first year for the Wolves. The addition of the program was announced in July 2021, and means that seven of the conference's 10 schools now sponsor men's soccer.
 
After that home opener against Western Oregon, the Falcons will play their next four GNAC games on the road: Sept. 24 at Montana State Billings, Sept. 29 at 2021 conference runner-up Simon Fraser, Oct. 1 at arch-rival Western Washington, and Oct. 6 at Saint Martin's.
 
Then, it's a five-game homestand for the rest of October, beginning on the Thursday the 13^th against Northwest Nazarene, and concluding on Saturday the 29^th against Western Washington. The game against the Vikings will be Senior Day.
 
The regular season concludes on the road at Western Oregon on Nov. 3 and at Northwest Nazarene on Nov. 5.
 
Of SPU's 11 home games, five of them – Sept. 3 and 15; Oct, 13, 15, and 29 – will be doubleheaders with the Falcon women.
 
SOCCER FINAL FOUR AT INTERBAY
A pair of NCAA Division II national championships will be decided in early December at Interbay Stadium as part of the NCAA Division II Fall Sports Festival. Seattle Pacific is serving as the host school.
The men's and women's national soccer semifinals will take place on Thursday, Dec. 1. Both title matches are set for Saturday, Dec. 3. Game times have not yet been announced by the NCAA.
 
The other fall sports – volleyball, cross country, and women's field hockey – also will crown their champions in the Puget Sound area. Volleyball will take place in Brougham Pavilion on Dec. 1 (quarterfinals), Dec. 2 (semifinals) and Dec. 3 (finals).
 
Cross country is at Chambers Creek Regional Park in University Place, south of Tacoma, on Friday, Dec. 2.
 
Field hockey is set for Renton Memorial Stadium, 19 miles southeast of SPU, with semifinals on Dec. 1 and finals on Dec. 3.
 
 
2022 SEATTLE PACIFIC MEN'S SOCCER SCHEDULE
NON-CONFERENCE
Date                       Opponent                                          Time (Pacific)
Aug. 25       Chico State                 7:00 p.m.
Aug. 27       Sonoma State                3:00 p.m.
Sept. 3       West Texas A&M              7:00 p.m.
Sept. 8       at Regis                    6:00 p.m.
Sept. 10      at Colorado Mines           5:00 p.m.
Sept. 15      Point Loma Nazarene         7:00 p.m.
Sept. 17      Concordia Irvine            2:00 p.m.
 
GREAT NORTHWEST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Date                       Opponent                                          Time (Pacific)
Sept. 22      Western Oregon              4:30 p.m.
Sept. 24      at Montana State Billings   2:30 p.m.
Sept. 29      at Simon Fraser             7:30 p.m.
Oct. 1        at Western Washington       7:00 p.m.
Oct. 6        at Saint Martin's           3:00 p.m.
Oct. 13       Northwest Nazarene          4:30 p.m.
Oct. 15       Montana State Billings      4:30 p.m.
Oct. 20       Saint Martin's              7:00 p.m.
Oct. 22       Simon Fraser                7:00 p.m.
Oct. 29       Western Washington          7:00 p.m.
Nov. 3        at Western Oregon           1:30 p.m.
Nov. 5        at Montana State Billings   3:00 p.m.
 
Home matches in bold.