SEATTLE – It's the final weekend of non-conference matches for the Seattle Pacific University men's soccer team, and they take place at Interbay Stadium. The Falcons host Point Loma on Thursday at 7 p.m. followed by a match against Concordia Irvine on Saturday at 2 p.m. 
 
WHAT'S THE STORY THIS WEEK
The Falcons face their final weekend of nonconference matches looking to gain momentum before conference matches start. 
 
They're coming off a disappointing trip to Colorado where they dropped matches to Regis and Mines. The Falcons have yet to score a goal in the run of play, as goals have come on penalty kicks. 
 
There's reason to believe that will change this weekend. SPU leads the GNAC in shots with 58 over five matches played. Alden Massey leads the team and ranks second in the conference with 12 shots and 2.4 shots per game. The Falcons have also created the third-most corners in the conference at 22.   
 
Demian Alvarez has been great for the Falcons. He's made good on two penalty chances and is tied for the top spot in the GNAC in goals. 
 
Defensively, the Falcons have played better than recent results indicate. They've allowed seven goals, good enough for third-least in the GNAC. Lars Helleren finds himself mid-pack in goalkeeping statistics in the GNAC. He's averaging 1.4 goals allowed per game and has a .708 save percentage.
 
The Falcons are trying to find their flow this weekend. Playing at home should help. Believing in an offense that's created the most shots in the league should help too. The search for momentum starts Thursday at 7 p.m. against the Sea Lions. 
 
SCOUTING THE POINT LOMA SEA LIONS (1-3-0) 
Point Loma landed in second place in the PacWest Preseason Poll, earning four of the possible 11 first-place votes. Last year's PacWest Championship came down to the final day of the regular season, as Azusa Pacific earned the title by a single point over the Sea Lions. PLNU featured five players on the Preseason All-PacWest team, tied for most in the conference. 
 
It's been a slow start for the Sea Lions, as they've gone just 1-3 to open the year. Most recently, the team picked up a 2-0 win over San Marcos. Seth Ketterer earned the PacWest Defender of the Week as he made five saves on his way to the award. He leads the conference in saves with 17 and has a .810 save percentage. 
 
The history between the Falcons and Sea Lions is brief. Since 1995, the two teams have met just three times. Their last meeting came in 2019, as SPU picked up a 4-3 double-overtime victory over PLNU. 

SCOUTING THE CONCORDIA IRVINE GOLDEN EAGLES (1-3-0)
Concordia found themselves in fourth in the PacWest Preseason Coaches Poll. The team finished fifth place last season with a record of 7-7-3 overall and 5-3-2 in PacWest. Head coach Chris Gould returns six starters led by senior Alex Perez. Perez earned Preseason All-PacWest notoriety. He led the Golden Eagles with seven goals and three assists in the 2021 campaign.
 
Like the Sea Lions, the Golden Eagles tout a 1-3-0 record early in the 2022 season. They picked up a 3-1 win over San Marcos on Sept. 7. CUI has struggled defensively, allowing multiple goals in all but one of their matches.