• Complete Release (pdf)     |     • VIDEO: Stephen MacDonald

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23 –
South Dakota Mines at (#3) Seattle Pacific
7:00 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
• LiveStats:  http://www.sidearmstats.com/spu/msoc/
 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25 –
U-Mary at (#3) Seattle Pacific
7:00 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
• LiveStats:  http://www.sidearmstats.com/spu/msoc/
 
Third-ranked Seattle Pacific puts a school-record 11-game winning streak on the line this week during a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference home games. The first-place Falcons (12-0-1, 9-0-0 GNAC) entertain newest league member South Dakota School of Mines (1-12-0, 0-9-0) on Thursday, Oct. 23. Kick-off is 7 p.m. at Interbay Stadium where the Falcons compiled a perfect 6-0 record this season. SPU won all three encounters against the Hardrockers in a series that started last year, including a 5-0 decision on Sept. 27 in Rapid City during this season's first meeting. On Saturday, Oct. 25, the University of Mary (3-6-2, 2-6-1) visits Seattle for a 7 p.m. contest. SPU owns a 9-0-1 series advantage over the Marauders, but it took a goal by Jordan Thompson with 49 seconds left in the final overtime to secure a 2-1 victory on Sept. 25 in Bismarck, N.D. The SPU men are vying for their 34th NCAA Division II Tournament berth. They participated in the playoffs in each of the last three seasons.
 
Record Run
The Falcons won their last 11 games, the longest winning streak in school history. They surpassed the previous mark, a 10-game streak established in 1991, on Oct. 18.
 
Spectacular Start
Seattle Pacific (12-0-1) is one of only six undefeated teams remaining among NCAA Division II men's soccer programs. The Falcons are off to the best start in the 47-year history of the program that includes five national championship teams. The record for sustained unbeaten streak to start a season was previously held by the 1975 SPU team that opened with a 6-0-4 record before losing in its 11th outing.
 
Dynamic Defense
SPU has allowed just seven goals in 13 games this season, and never more than one in any outing.  Sophomore goalkeeper Cody Lang started 12 games, compiling six shutouts and a 0.50 goals against average that leads the GNAC and ranks No. 6 nationally. The Falcons defense limited their 13 opponents to 127 shots overall and just 37 attempts directly on goal.
 


Player of the Week
Sophomore forward Stephen MacDonald, who compiled two goals and one assist in two SPU road victories, was named the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week for men's soccer on Monday. MacDonald helped SPU quickly rally from an early one-goal deficit at Simon Fraser (Oct. 16), scoring in the 16th and 29th minutes of a 2-1 win. That was his first multi-goal game. At Western Washington (Oct. 18), he set up the tying goal in the 74th minute, forcing overtime for the eventual 2-1 triumph on Jordan Kollars' golden goal 12 seconds into the second overtime. MacDonald tops the Falcons with six assists and 16 points and is tied for the team lead with five goals.
 
2014 Preview
Eight starters are back for SPU, including first-team All-GNAC goalkeeper Cody Lang. The sophomore shot-stopper registered eight shutouts and an impressive 0.76 goals against average in 2013. Returning players accounted for 22 of the team's 29 goals last season, including four apiece from the trio of Stephen MacDonald, Bryson Pavel and Sean Russell. Sophomore Jordan Kollars was SPU's best playmaker with five assists while junior Danny Olivas was tops in total points with 10 on three goals and four assists. Pavel was a first-team All-GNAC defender as was sophomore Davis Karaica. Russell and Olivas were honorable mention all-league selections. The impressive list of returning starters is bolstered by six standout freshmen, sophomore midfielder Keenan dePinna who transferred from Oregon State, and red-shirt freshman Gabe Kellum from France.
 
This Week's Opponents
South Dakota School of Mines (1-12-0, 0-9-0) -- The Hardrockers are second-year men's soccer-only members of the GNAC from Rapid City. Mines lost its last 10 games, but the last three were by one-goal margins. Michael McGraw (5) and Sean Tabbert (4) accounted for nine of the team's 11 goals. Goalkeeper Braeden Federle has a 2.13 goals against average. SPU swept last year's games 2-1 in Rapid City and 1-0 in Seattle, in the first ever meetings. The Falcons were 5-0 victors on Sept. 27 in Rapid City.
 
University of Mary (3-6-2, 2-6-1) -- The Marauders hail from Bismarck, N.D. and are third-year GNAC members, competing in men's soccer only. U-Mary had solid results against top-level teams in its last two outings, drawing 1-1 with Northwest Nazarene and beating Montana State Billings 2-1. Jordan Pearce leads the attack with seven goals. Goalkeeper Jack West compiled a 1.12 goals against average. The Falcons own a 9-0-1 series lead, including a 2-1 win on Sept. 25 in Bismarck, N.D. That game was decided on a golden goal by SPU's Jordan Thompson with 49 seconds last in the second overtime.
 
Coach Collings
Seventh-year coach Mark Collings is the third head coach in the 47-year history of Seattle Pacific men's soccer. He has a 76-32-19 record with the Falcons, including the current school-record run of 11 consecutive victories. Collings led SPU to a 12-4-3 record in 2013 and the team's third straight playoff berth. The Falcons put together a 14-game unbeaten streak, the longest such single-season stretch in school history. A 10-1-3 GNAC record put SPU in second place. They lost 1-0 to Chico State in the first round of the playoffs. In 2012, Collings directed SPU to a 11-3-5 record and in 2011 a 14-4-2 record was capped by the first playoff appearance in five years. Collings was named the 2010 GNAC Co-Coach of the Year after leading SPU to a 10-6-2 record following records of 11-5-3 in 2009 and 6-10-3 in 2008. Collings replaced Cliff McCrath, who compiled a 512-190-87 mark in 38 seasons (1970-2007). Arnie Aizstrauts was 1-14-1 from 1968-69. The co-captain of SPU's 1998 Final Four team, Collings was a five-year assistant coach. He avoided a first-year Falcon curse as his predecessors were winless in their inaugural seasons.

 

2013 Review
The SPU men registered a 12-4-3 overall record in 2013, placed second in the GNAC standings with a 10-1-3 mark and participated in the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season. They lost 1-0 against Chico State in the opening round of the playoffs in La Jolla, Calif. The Falcons forged a 14-game unbeaten streak, the longest in school history during a single season. Highlighting the season was a 2-1 upset of top-ranked Simon Fraser on Oct 3 in Seattle. Danny Olivas netted a 79th-minute free kick to secure the victory. Three seniors departed, all of them starters: defender Kodiac Gamble, midfielder Anthony Mohammed and forward Blaine Carver. SPU outscored foes 29-15 led by a trio of four-goal scorers in Stephen MacDonald, Sean Russell and Bryson Pavel. First-team All-GNAC goalkeeper Cody Lang played every minute, posting eight shutouts and a 0.76 goals against average.