SEATTLE – The Seattle Pacific University men's soccer team hosts another Great Northwest Athletic Conference match against Western Oregon on Saturday at 7 p.m. under the lights at Interbay Soccer Stadium.
QUOTABLE
"We are looking forward to playing at home, under the lights, against a top team on Saturday," head coach
Kevin Sakuda said. "The guys have put in some good performances over the last few games and our focus remains on continuing to build on that every day at training. No game on Thursday, so it gives us an extra day to recover and get better. The team has a lot of belief in each other and remains focused on controlling the things that we can control, and that means being present every day and maximizing each session together."
GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
The GNAC announced its weekly men's soccer awards last Monday, with Seattle Pacific's
Connor Tollan featured as the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week. He scored three goals and had two assists over the weekend for the Falcons.
Tollan has been a key piece for the Falcons throughout 2024. He ranks second on the team and is tied for second in the GNAC in goals scored with four. Tollan leads the Falcons and the conference with five assists. His 12 points are second on the team and have him tied for second in the conference. Tollan's already set a career-best in single-season goals and is one assist away from tying his single-season best of five from 2022.
SPU ATHLETICS FALCON OF THE WEEK
Raymundo Mendez was named one of two SPU Athletics Falcons of the Week last Tuesday. Mendez continues to be a stalwart for the SPU men's soccer team. He scored two goals and dished out an assist in two matches for the Falcons last week. Mendez leads the Falcons and the GNAC in goals (5) and points (13).
SCORING EARLY AND OFTEN
The Falcons obliterated Saint Martin's in their GNAC opener on Oct. 3 by a score of 6-1. Five different Falcons found the back of the net, with four goals coming in the second half. The last time SPU scored six goals in a match came against the Saints on October 31, 2022, when Falcons pummeled the Saints 9-0 at home. Mendez,
Carter Gay, Tollan,
Diego Pena-Salgado, and
Brady Fendrich all found ways to score in the conference opener.
ABOUT WESTERN OREGON
Michael Behonick was voted the GNAC Coach of the Year in 2023 after putting the Wolves on the map in their second year of existence. WOU went 11-3-3 behind the first-year head man, including an 8-1-3 record in conference play for an average of 2.25 points to finish a tick below Simon Fraser.
Returning to the roster after earning First-Team All-GNAC in 2023 is Yahir Ocampo, who led the Wolves with six assists and added three goals for a dozen total points. Alejandro Velasco, who ranked second on the team with six goals while adding three assists, is also back for the Wolves in 2024.
On the defensive side, the Wolves return a pair of Honorable Mention All-Conference selections in Ethan Fisher and Harper Neubeck. Fisher started all 17 matches and played 1,459 minutes, while Neubeck started 16 matches and logged 1,403 minutes.
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