SEATTLE - The Seattle Pacific University men's soccer team plays its final home matches of the 2023 season this weekend at Interbay Soccer Stadium. The Falcons host Northwest Nazarene on Thursday at 4 p.m. and will honor Matthew Samson, Tyler Speer, and Cam Welty before their senior day match against Western Oregon on Saturday at 7 p.m.
QUOTABLE
"We are excited to celebrate Matt, Tyler, and Cam on Saturday. These three guys have contributed so much to our program and in ways that don't always show up in the box score. They have set the standard every day in the way they train, lead, and humbly serve the team. They are fantastic teammates, human beings, and I couldn't think of three better examples for the type of men we want to graduate from our school and soccer program." – head coach Kevin Sakuda.
THE SENIORS
Samson is a goalkeeper from Seattle. He came to the Falcons from O'Dea High School. Samson leaves SPU with a business administration degree. He's posted a 3.33 grade point average and has been a three-time GNAC All-Academic selection.
Speer joined SPU from Fruita Monument High School in Grand Junction, Colo. Speer has appeared in 58 matches and made 42 starts for the Falcons. He's played 2,606 minutes, with four goals, nine assists, and 17 points. Speer moves on from SPU with a degree in biochemistry touting a 4.0 GPA. He's been a GNAC All-Academic team member four times.
Welty arrived at SPU from Eastside Catholic and Issaquah, Wash. Welty has appeared in 20 matches and has made 14 starts for the Falcons. He's played 1,362 minutes and has made 42 saves.
GNAC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
The Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced its men's soccer weekly awards on Monday, featuring Seattle Pacific's Raymundo Mendez as the conference's Offensive Player of the Week.
Mendez was sensational for the Falcons over the weekend, with a special performance coming last Saturday. Mendez scored three goals in the first half against Western Oregon. It was the first hat trick for the Falcons since Alex Mejia had one against Saint Martin's on Oct. 9, 2021.
ABOUT THE NIGHTHAWKS
The Nighthawks are 4-6-6 overall in 2023 and have gone 2-3-5 in conference play. They sit one spot behind the Falcons in fourth in the GNAC standings. The Falcons opened GNAC play at Northwest Nazarene on Sept. 28 and settled for a 1-1 draw in Nampa, Idaho.
The team has allowed 1.13 goals per game while scoring 1.25 goals per game. Their offense is Jim Wagenaar, who's scored 12 goals this season with one assist for 25 points. Eight other Nighthawks have scored one goal each.
ABOUT THE WOLVES
The Wolves are 10-3-3 this season and sit behind Simon Fraser in second place with a 7-1-3 conference record. The Falcons played the Wolves last Saturday, as the two teams dueled to a 3-3 draw.
WOU has allowed 1.44 goals per game while scoring 2.06 goals per game. Gabriel Silva can create offensively, as he leads the Wolves with nine goals, three assists, and 21 points. Alejandro Velasco has scored six goals this season.
