PORTLAND, Ore. – The Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced its Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll on Wednesday afternoon, with Seattle Pacific University slotted in fourth place in the standings.
The 2025 GNAC men's soccer season is projected to be tightly contested between four teams. The Falcons collected 21 points in the poll to land in fourth. They trail Simon Fraser by two points for third. The Red Leafs earned two first place votes from the conference coaches. Western Oregon led the poll with 33 points and three first place votes. Western Washington landed in second with 27 points and one first place vote.
"We are excited about the team this year," Sakuda said. "Losing key players is always difficult, but we have a ton of belief in the group of guys we have returning and the quality of players we are adding to this team. Because of the tradition in this program, wearing an SPU jersey will always come with added responsibility, but I'm excited for this group to create their own legacy."
SPU enters the 2025 season after a solid 2024 campaign. The Falcons finished the year 8-6-4, with a 5-4-3 record in GNAC play. They finished the year by winning their final two matches of the season and tied for third in the GNAC standings.
The Falcons put seven players on the 2024 GNAC All-Conference team.
Connor Tollan returns after a breakout season in 2024. He scored five goals and led the GNAC in assists with eight this season. He finished the year with 18 points. Tollan's production led to a First Team All-GNAC selection.
Diego Pena-Salgado and
JJ Diaz return after All-Conference recognition. Pena-Salgado appeared in 12 matches, scored twice, and dished out an assist. His season earned a Second Team All-GNAC selection. Diaz is back after scoring three goals, dishing out three assists, and totaling nine points in 2024. He was a GNAC Honorable Mention selection.
Experienced players in
Jackson Goode and
Isaac Ketcham will anchor the back line for the Falcons. Both played a major role in holding opponents to 1.56 goals per game in 2024.
Lukas Shriner,
Owen Swartout, and
Christopher Soto are projected to see time in the midfield for the Falcons.
The Falcons 2025 roster features 12 newcomers for 2025.
Brian Lanier,
Chester March,
Rafael Lucio,
Sam McAfee,
Lucas Witthauer,
Sebastian Rangel,
Victor Cabanas, and
Evan Towry come to SPU as transfers.
Harper Sabari,
Brady Reed,
JP Guzman, and
Kasey Toevs are in their first year of collegiate soccer with the Falcons.
"We have high expectations for the team," Sakuda added. "Polls are for the fun, but they don't have any meaning or influence on what we do or how we go about preparing. If anything, it gives us the opportunity to prove people wrong. It's a new season, no games have been played, and we get to write our story."
The Falcons open the season with four consecutive road matches against teams from the California Collegiate Athletic Association. It starts with a match against Stanislaus State on Sept. 4, followed by a meeting with Chico State on Sept. 6. The Falcons finish their time in California with matches against Cal State LA on Sept. 11 and Dominguez Hills on Sept. 13.
SPU's first home match of the 2025 season is on Sept. 18 when they host Westminster. Regis visits Interbay Soccer Stadium on Sept. 20. The Falcons play rare Wednesday and Friday matches on Sept. 24 and Sept. 26. They'll host Dallas Baptist and St. Edward's on those dates.
The Falcons open GNAC play amid seven consecutive home matches. Northwest Nazarene is the conference-opening match on Oct. 4. Oct. 9 features a match against Simon Fraser at 5:00 p.m. The Falcons welcome Western Washington to Seattle for a showdown on Oct. 11 at 7:00 p.m.
SPU is on the road for four straight matches during the last half of October. They return to Seattle for their final home weekend of the regular season on Oct. 30 and Nov. 1. The Falcons play Western Oregon on Oct. 30th at 6:00 p.m. Then on Nov. 1, SPU hosts Saint Martin's at 6:00 p.m. The Falcons will celebrate their seniors before their match against the Saints.
The regular season finale is a road game against the Nighthawks. This year, the GNAC has introduced a men's soccer tournament. The top three teams from the conference standings will qualify for the GNAC Championships. The top seed earns a bye in the first round to advance to the championship game. The winner of the GNAC Championships receives the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
SPU SOCIAL
Seattle's only NCAA Division II Scholarship Program | #GoFalcons
