SEATTLE - For the second consecutive season and the 38th time in program history, the Seattle Pacific University men's soccer team will play in the NCAA National Tournament, starting with a second-round match against Regis on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. at Interbay Soccer Stadium. ​
The Falcons helped Sakuda earn his third GNAC Coach of the Year award in 2026. He has guided the Falcons to a 17-3-1 record going into the NCAA Tournament. 17 wins are the most in a single season since 1993, when Cliff McCrath led the Falcons to an 18-2-1 record. SPU finished the 1993 season as the NCAA DII National Champions.
​In 2026, the Falcons led the GNAC with 53 goals scored for an average of 2.524 goals per game. 53 goals are tied for second in the country this season. SPU leads the GNAC and ranks fourth in the country with 148 points scored in 2026. Defensively, the Falcons have allowed only 21 goals this season, the fewest in the conference. The Falcons are tied for fifth in the country with a goal differential of 32 this season.​
Saturday's NCAA Tournament Second Round matchup against Regis will take place at 3:00 p.m. at Interbay Soccer Stadium. The Falcons are undefeated at Interbay Soccer Stadium, owning a 12-0-0 record in 2026. The spotless record includes last weekend's Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships. The Falcons defeated Simon Fraser 2-0 in last Thursday's semifinals before taking out Western Oregon 3-1 in last Saturday's Championship match.
"The boys have been amazing all year long," head coach
Kevin Sakuda said. "Saturday was a special day and I thought we put together a great performance to earn this opportunity to host and compete in the NCAA tourney. That's something we should be proud of, but we also recognize there's a lot more in front of us. We've worked all season to put ourselves in this position, and now it's about making the most of the opportunity we've earned. This group is motivated to take the next step as a program and we are all excited for what's ahead."
Owen Swartout was sensational for the Falcons in the GNAC Championship match. He played a role in all three of the Falcons' goals, scoring the first two before assisting on the third. Swartout was named the GNAC Championship Most Valuable Player. He led a group that included
Harper Sabari,
Lucas Witthauer,
JP Guzman,
Brady Reed,
Victor Cabanas, and
Kasey Toevs on the GNAC All-Tournament team.
Cabanas entered the tournament after being named the 2026 GNAC Defensive Player of the Year and a unanimous First Team All-GNAC selection on Nov. 4. Cabanas started 16 matches for the Falcons and played 1,272 minutes. He played a full 90 minutes 11 times this season. Cabanas was a key part of seven shutouts by the Falcons this season. Cabanas two conference honors were added to his 2025 GNAC Freshman of the Year and First Team All-GNAC selections.
JP Guzman,
Judah Straight, and
Rafael Lucio joined Cabanas as First Team All-GNAC selections. All four of SPU's First Team All-GNAC selections were unanimous.​ Guzman is tied for the team-high with six goals, while dishing out an assist and amassing 13 points. Guzman scored the game-winning goal in SPU's 2-1 victory over Western Washington on Oct.17.
​Straight has made an immediate impact in his first season with the Falcons. He's tied with Guzman for the team lead in goals with six this season, while dishing out four assists to add up to 16 points. Straight's presence was immediately felt, netting game-winning goals against Stanislaus State and Chico State during the first weekend of the season.
​Lucio earned his second First Team All-GNAC honor during his time with the Falcons. He has scored five goals with three assists for 13 points. He scored game-winning goals against Westmont on Sept. 3 and Point Loma on Sept. 5 in 2026.
SPU had four more All-GNAC selections, including Second Team members
Isaac Ketcham,
Kasey Toevs, and
Willem Ficek.
David Ochoa joined the All-Conference honorees as a GNAC Honorable Mention this season. In the classroom, 10 Falcons earned GNAC All-Academic team recognition.
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