SEATTLE – Seattle Pacific University men's soccer head coach Kevin Sakuda announced the Falcons 2024 schedule on Tuesday afternoon, featuring four of six non conference games at home, a trip to Utah, and the always-competitive Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule.

"We are excited about our 2024 season," Sakuda said. "We are fortunate to have had a spring season with 24 guys on our current roster.  Because of that, we looked at the last eight months as an extended pre-season and a huge advantage to prepare for the fall."

The Falcons are coming off a 5-9-4 2023 season, resulting in a fifth-place finish in the GNAC standings. SPU scored 32 goals on the season for an average of 1.78 goals per game. The Falcons racked up 25 assists in 2023. SPU's 12.44 shots per game were the third-most in the conference.

The Falcons earned eight selections to the GNAC postseason awards in 2023. Raymundo Mendez led the charge by being named Newcomer of the Year and earning a spot on the First Team. Mendez was fabulous in his first year with the Falcons, leading the squad with 13 goals while adding two assists for 28 points. The Columbia Basin transfer tied for the second most goals in the GNAC. He had the third most points in the conference as well.

Mendez will look to pick up 2024 how he left 2023 when he scored five goals in the final three matches of the season. The stretch included a hat trick against Western Oregon on Nov. 4, resulting in a GNAC Player of the Week award.

Veterans Evan Aune and Joseph Van Horn return to the Falcons after receiving All-GNAC honors. Aune was named to the First Team last season. He appeared in and started 13 matches for the Falcons and played 1,135 minutes. He was a part of a defense with two shutouts on the season. Aune had an assist against Northwest Nazarene on Nov. 9.

Van Horn earned GNAC Honorable Mention after a fine 2023 season. Van Horn came on late, scoring two goals in the final two weeks. His total includes three goals, two assists, and eight points.

Orlando Erazo, Connor Tollan, and Diego Pena-Salgado are back strong in the 2023 season. Erazo was a key piece to the SPU offense in 2023. He appeared in 18 matches, made 15 starts, and played 1,063 minutes for the Falcons. Erazo scored six goals and dished out five assists for 17 total points. The performance added up to a Second Team All-GNAC selection.

Tollan and Pena-Salgado were named GNAC Honorable Mentions. Tollan started all 17 matches he appeared in and played 1,065 minutes. He scored a goal and had two assists on the year. Pena-Salgado played 1,156 minutes, finishing the year with a goal and an assist.  

SPU added eight accomplished recruits in the 2024 signing class. They include Pierluca Carnovale, Cristian Chel Lara, Carter Gay, Johan Gaytan, Mateo Herrera, Alexander Magana, Chase Nelson, and Lukas Shriner.

The Falcons will be tested early by four California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) programs to open their season. They'll host Sonoma State, Chico State, Dominguez Hills, and Cal State LA at Interbay Soccer Stadium during the first two weekends of September. SPU closes out its nonconference schedule in Salt Lake City, Utah, for matches against Regis on Sept. 19 at 3:30 p.m. PDT and Westminster on Sept. 21 at 1:30 p.m. PDT.  

The Falcons open GNAC play on Oct. 3 with a quick trip to Saint Martin's for a 2:00 p.m. match. They return home on Oct. 5 to host Western Washington at 7:00 p.m. A week later, the Falcons host Western Oregon at 7:00 p.m. Other home opponents for the Falcons include Saint Martin's (Oct. 19), Northwest Nazarene (Oct. 26), Simon Fraser (Oct. 31), and MSU Billings (Nov. 16).

"This year, we are playing four of the top teams on the West Coast at home and then have two tough RMAC opponents on the road," Sakuda said. "These games provide a wonderful opportunity to showcase ourselves against other teams in our super region and play a huge part in building our resume for the NCAA selection committee."

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