SEATTLE, WA – The 12th-ranked Seattle Pacific Falcons avenged its only loss with a 3-2 victory over Simon Fraser University in the rematch of a Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's soccer contest at Interbay Stadium Thursday evening.
SPU's Danny Olivas scored the game-winner on a penalty kick in the 51
st minute and then SPU held on for the victory. The defending GNAC champion Falcons (9-1-2) maintained its hold on first place, improving to 5-1-2 in league play with their third straight win.
SPU started the season unbeaten in eight games, with six wins and two draws, before losing 1-0 at Simon Fraser on Oct. 1.
The Clan (4-3-4) dropped to 3-2-3 in GNAC games after losing for the first time in its last six outings.
The Falcons started off fast, getting a pair of goals inside the opening 10 minutes.
"Tonight we made a few mistakes and good teams like Seattle Pacific will punish you for it," said Clan head coach
Clint Schneider. "I liked the way we fought back but we have to be better from start to finish."
Jordan Kollars got SPU on the board first when his swerving corner kick from the left side caromed off Clan goalkeeper
Brandon Watson's fingertips and into goal at 5:40. Defender
Kyle Jones was in the center of the goal, but his clearance occurred after the entire ball had crossed the line.
SPU made it 2-0 just over four minutes later when Gabe Kellum fired a shot from the left side of the box past Watson at 9:45.
The Clan cut the deficit in half when
James Fraser slipped a 12-yard shot into the right side of the SPU goal at 17:51.
Michael North assisted on the goal with a pass from the left flank into the center of the box.
SPU got an early second-half score to go up 3-1. Mori Tsuchiya was fouled in the box on a breakaway by
Anthony Van De Vendel and Olivas converted the subsequent penalty kick at 50:32.
The Clan again answered, this time with a first-time volley from
Adam Jones off a pass from the left side from
Kyle Jones. The 10-yard shot went high into the SPU goal at 54:50.
The Falcons gave up two goals in a game for the first time all season. Junior goalkeeper Cody Lang stopped five shots while Watson made two saves for the Clan, who were on the short end of an 11-8 shot count.
SFU plays at Saint Martin's University on Saturday. Kick-off is 3 PM.
--@SFUClan--
