November 7

Williams Scores Twice in Seattle Pacific Victory

Williams

Drew Williams scored two goals and seniors Alec Nelson and Corey Sinser each had one in the final home game of their careers as Seattle Pacific ended its regular season with a 5-1 victory against Northwest Nazarene Saturday at Interbay Stadium.

Freshman Christopher Morris also scored for the Falcons (11-5-3, 4-3-1), whose victory clinched third place in the GNAC standings and snapped a three-game losing streak. SPU's win total was its highest since it went 12-7 in 2006.

Williams scored in the ninth and 75th minutes, while Nelson's goal came at 61:42 and Sinser scored at 74:31. Morris's goal came at 42:04. The goals for Williams, who ranks second in the league with nine assists, were his second and third of the year.

Northwest Nazarene (5-11-1, 0-7-1), which was outshot 30-4, got its only goal with 3:28 remaining on a penalty kick by Alonso Avila.

November 4

Western Washington Blanks Saint Martin's 2-0

Thomas Kauffman and Darragh Simm had goals to lead Western Washington to a 2-0 win over GNAC conference champion Saint Martin's Thursday at Orca Field in Bellingham.

The win enabled the Vikings (8-11-1, 5-3-0) to clinch second-place in the GNAC, three points back of the Saints (11-7-0, 6-2-0). The loss also likely ended any playoff hopes for SMU.

The Saints were ranked fifth in this week's NCAA West Regional poll and need to move up to fourth to qualify for the playoffs, which will now probably be an all CCAA affair.

Western, which ended the season with a four-game unbeaten streak (3-0-1), opened the scoring in the 14th minute as a Saint Martin's clearance of a free kick by Kauffman came back to the Viking defender and he blasted in a shot from 25 yards that deflected off a Saints' defender and into the net.

In the 48th minute, Western midfielder Kellan Brown hit a driven cross from the right side that found Simm eight yards out.  Simm's hard volley bounced off the turf and hopped into the net for an insurance goal.

Brown's assist was his fifth of the year. He finished the season with a team-best 25 points.

November 3

MSUB's Charles Breaks Scoring Record in 5-0 Win

Sam Charles scored three goal and also earned an assist in leading Montana State Billings to a 5-0 win over Rocky Mountain Wednesday at Wendy's Field on the Rocky campus in Billings.

Charles set a GNAC single-season record for goals (24) and points (55) and also established a MSUB school record for career assists, earning his 18th.

He broke the old GNAC records for goals and points set by Bobby McAlister, who had 22 goals and 49 points in leading Seattle University to the national title in 2004.

Chris Andre matched Charles' career assist total setting up freshman Blair Stevenson for his first career goal in the 64th minute. Andre had 10 of his 18 assists this season. Charles' 18th assist came on a goal by Garion Holian in the 32nd minute.

Charles' goals came in the 23rd, 56th and 84th minutes as he tied a GNAC record with his seventh multi-goal game of the season and set a conference record with his eighth multi-point game. He also extended his own GNAC record for career hat tricks to five.

Charles finished his career with 69 goals and 156 points, including 62 goals and 140 points during the past three seasons in the GNAC.

MSUB finished the season with an 11-5-2 record which is the second-most wins in a season in school history.  Two years ago the Yellowjackets set a school-record with 13 victories.

"Over the last three years, our record stands at 34-17-3 and I think that has established us as not only a quality program in our conference, but also in the region and nationally,” MSUB coach Dan McNally said. 

October 29

Saint Martin's Clinches GNAC Title Tie With Win, Seattle Pacific Loss

The Saints (10-6-0, 5-1-0) clinched at least a tie for their first-ever GNAC team title in any sport with the victory when Seattle Pacific (10-5-3, 3-3-1) lost 4-0 to Western Washington (6-11-0, 3-3-0) Thursday night at Interbay Stadium.

SMU can win the title outright with a win or tie Saturday at Northwest Nazarene or next Thursday at Western Washington or with a WWU tie or loss this Saturday at Billings.

The Vikings are currently in fourth place in the GNAC standings with nine points trailing second-place MSUB (11 points) and third-place SPU (10 points), but are the only team that has a chance to catch the Saints.

Records are incomplete, but school officials believe the conference title is the first-ever in any sport for the Saints.

In 1983, SMU lost to Central Washington in the NAIA District 1 men's basketball championship game. CWU later forfeited the title to the Saints when it was ruled the Wildcats played with an ineligible player. However, that was a district crown rather than a conference title.

Nixon's game-winning goal came after he received a pass from Vlad Voin off a clear out, made a move on the near side just outside the box and fired the ball past MSUB goalie Matt Mitchell.

Both teams scored in the first half. GNAC scoring leader Sam Charles gave MSUB (10-4-2, 3-2-2) a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute with his school-record 20th goal of the season.

Charles dribbled past two defenders from about 35 yards out into the box, firing a shot past Zac Lubin.

SMU, which outshot the Yellowjackets 18-12, pulled even at 24:38 as Nixon, who now ranks second in the conference in scoring with 23 points, headed in a long throw in by Brandon Scott.

The game then remained scoreless for the next 75 minutes as Zac Lubin had five saves for SMU and Sander Tollefson (2) and Matt Mitchell (5) combined for seven for MSUB.

At Interbay, Kellan Brown blasted in the rebound of a deflected shot just 6½ minutes into the game, then put in the rebound of his own saved penalty kick early in the second half powering Western Washington past Seattle Pacific.

The win, which snapped a three-game losing streak, was the 100th career victory for 11th-year Viking coach Travis Connell (100-98-11), who became the first coach in program history to reach that mark.

The Vikings got on the board at the 6:34 mark when Brendan Quilici took a shot that bounced off a Seattle Pacific defender.

The ball came right back out to Brown, who was 23 yards up from the goal to the left of the penalty area restraining arc. Brown let fly with a shot that sailed into the back left corner for his eighth goal of the year.

Brown got his second goal and his ninth of the season when he was taken down in the box and awarded a penalty kick at 56:27. Freshman goalkeeper Zach Johnson dove to his left and made the save. But the ball was still loose, and Brown ran up to it and tucked in the rebound.

Oscar Jimenez and Gibson Bardsley also scored for Western Washington. Jimenez had an unassisted goal late in the first half on a 40-yard blast that went off the goalkeeper just inside the left post.

Bardsley completed the scoring in the 67th minute from 15 yards out after taking a through ball from Darragh Simm.

WWU finished the contest with a 25-16 shot advantage. Cameron Copps-Tilley had four saves in recording the shutout. Kaleb Kuehn had two saves in the first half and Johnson had six in the second period for the Falcons, who have now lost three straight.

“We really put together a good game,” Connell said.  “Once we got that first goal by Kellan (Brown), it inspired the rest of the team and everyone had a good effort. 

"To be honest, I think we caught them on a bad night, because they are a better team than they showed tonight.  But our boys took full advantage.  They smelled the blood in the water and went after it.”

October 24

Charles Scores Three in 4-0 Montana State Billings Victory

With the win MSUB improved to 10-3-2 on the year marking the third consecutive season that it has had double-digit wins.

The hat trick was the fourth for Charles in his career as he increased his career goal and point totals to 64 and 145, respectively (57 and 129 in MSUB's three seasons in the GNAC). He has 19 goals this season, tying his own school record.

Charles scored the first goal of the game on a penalty kick as he was fouled in the box in the 55th minute.  It was Charles' third made penalty kick goal of the season and his 15th for his career. 

Less than three minutes later, Charles put the Yellowjackets up 2-0 on a beautiful pass and shoot as he hooked up with Chris Andre for the score.  It was Andre's team-leading eighth assist of the season. 

Charles scored his third goal in the 87th minute on assists from James Henry and Jarred Weisen. 

With just over a minute left, Weisen tallied his fourth score of the year as he took a Jeremy DeHerrera pass and beat two defenders for the score at the 88:53 mark.  It was DeHerrera's eighth assist of the year tying him with Andre for the team lead.

MSUB dominated the game in all facets outshooting the Bears 16-1 including 10-0 in shots on goal. The Yellowjackets also had a season-high 12 corner kicks.

October 21

Falcons, Vikings Lose To CCAA Teams

In another game in southern California, Western Washington lost 3-0 to Cal State Dominguez Hills. The teams switch opponents Friday night with the regionally third-ranked Falcons taking on the regionally sixth-ranked Toros and the Vikings playing the Golden Eagles.

Schultz took a pass from freshman midfielder Richie Evoy on a counterattack, and ripped a 20-yarder into the net from the right wing side at 75:05 on what was just the fifth shot of the night for SPU (10-3-3). The game appeared headed for overtime until the own goal at the 88:52 mark.

The Golden Eagles (14-2-1), who had been ranked No. 1 in NCAA Division II until back-to-back losses two weeks ago, had a 26-5 advantage in shots for the game, one of which was a penalty kick by Aza Gomez at 41:26.

“Cal State L.A. is a very good team. They did some things that caused us problems,” SPU coach Mark Collings said. “Certainly, they could have had one before the penalty kick. The PK changed the game.”

The Eagles had a 10-2 shot advantage through the first half, and it was up to 20-2 with 20 minutes left in the game.

But that's when the Falcons started to click. They nearly had the equalizer midway through the 73rd minute when freshman defender Corey McGuire had a close-range shot bounce off the upper right side of the crossbar.

It wasn't quite three minutes later when Schultz pulled SPU even. The game appeared headed for overtime until the own goal at 88:52, the result of a scramble directly in front of the left post.

In addition to its advantage in shots, Cal State L.A. had eight corner kicks to SPU's three. “The game wasn't as tilted as the stats indicated,” Collings said. “They put us under a lot of pressure, and we didn't settle down and do what we needed to do (until the late run).”

At Carson, Calif., Western Washington (5-9-0) was outshot 22-6 and shutout for only the third time this season as Dominguez Hills, the defending national champions, won its sixth in a row to improve to 11-5-1.

CSUDH got on the scoreboard in the 12th minute as Kevin Gallaugher scored on a penalty kick. The Toros scored again early in the second has as Tyler Petry found the net off a rebound of a shot by Scott Locken.

The last CSUDH goal came in the final minute when Ryan Evans scored after collecting a loose ball in the box. Greg Piechota was credited with the assist.

October 20

Charles Leads Yellowjackets to 3-0 Win Over Northwest Nazarene

Sam Charles contributed to all three goals as Montana State Billings pulled to within one point of first-place Saint Martin's with a 3-0 Great Northwest Athletic Conference victory at Northwest Nazarene Tuesday.

MSUB (9-3-2, 3-1-2) has 11 points and is now in second place in the GNAC. Saint Martin's has 12 points (4-1-0) while third-place Seattle Pacific (3-2-1) has 10 points. The Saints have three conference games remaining, while MSUB and SPU have two each.

Charles scored MSUB's first goal at 8:51, then earned as assist along with Jeremy DeHerrera on a goal by Jarred Weisen at 32:02 to give the Yellowjackets a 2-0 halftime lead.

Charles accounted for the only score of the second half on a penalty kick at 51:58.

MSUB took only six shots in the contest and only three were on-goal. NNU launched 10 shots as Sander Tollefson had four saves to record the shutout.

Charles' two goals were the 60th and 61st of his career. He now has 139 career points, including 123 (54 goals, 15 assists) in MSUB's three seasons in the GNAC. He also earned his 21st career game-winning goal (20 in the GNAC).

October 17

Seattle Pacific Hands MSUB First GNAC Loss

Midfielder Drew Williams set up Seattle Pacific's first three goals - one each by midfielder Alec Nelson, defender Elliot Morton and midfielder Tyler Schultz - in leading the 24th ranked Falcons to a 4-1 GNAC soccer victory against Montana State Billings Saturday at Interbay Stadium.

In Saturday's only other conference game, Western Washington edged Northwest Nazarene 4-3 in overtime.

The three assists for Williams gave him nine for the year and moved him into the conference lead.

Nelson and Morton scored less than four minutes apart midway through the first half. Schultz notched his team-leading seventh midway at the midpoint of the second half, his fourth goal in the last three games.

Freshman midfielder Richie Evoy had a clinching goal with 6:48 left in the game. Chris Andre scored on a 19-yard free kick for MSUB's only goal as Sam Charles' GNAC-record 15-game streak with a point came to an end.

Seattle Pacific (10-2-3, 3-2-1), which outshot the Yellowjackets (8-3-2, 2-1-2) by a 19-6 margin, moved into second-place with the victory, two behind first place Saint Martin's and two ahead of MSUB.

Midfielder Tyler Bjork scored the winning goal in the 107th minute and Oscar Jimenez had a goal and two assists in Western Washington's win at the NNU Soccer Field.

“It was great to get a win in overtime,” said WWU coach Travis Connell, who is now one victory shy of No.100 during his 11-year WWU career.  “We had a lot of chances and we deserved the victory.”

Bjork's game winner came off a cross by Jimenez following a missed shot.  It was Bjork's second goal this fall.

Brendan Quilici got Western (5-8-0, 2-3-0) on the scoreboard first in the 11th minute, knocking in a rebound of his own shot.

NNU (5-8-1, 0-4-1) knotted the score three minutes later on a header by Sal Sanchez, and the Crusaders went ahead 2-1 in the 40th minute on a five-yard chip by Nate Hamm.

Western tied the score at 2-2 just before halftime as Kellan Brown scored his team-leading sixth goal of the season on a header off a corner kick by Jimenez.

Jimenez put the Vikings ahead 3-2 in the 74th minute with his fifth goal of the campaign, a low shot inside the left post.  Quilici and Kenny Parker were credited with assists.

NNU tied the game at 3-3 in the 85th minute as Mangeac scored from 18 yards.

Western had a 22-14 shot advantage and the corner kicks were tied at seven each. 

October 15

Saint Martin's Beats Seattle Pacific 3-2 To Sweep Series

Vlad Voin scored the game-winner from inside the box during the 75th minute Thursday helping Saint Martin's complete a sweep of their soccer season series from 24th-ranked Seattle Pacific with a 3-2 victory at SMU Soccer Field.

The Falcons (9-2-3) suffered just their second loss, both of them coming against the Saints. SMU defeated SPU by the same 3-2 score on Oct. 1 in Seattle.

Third-place SPU's Great Northwest Athletic Conference record moved to 2-2-1. Saint Martin's (9-6 overall) strengthened its hold on first place in the conference standings, improving to 4-1.

Ruben Orozco played a part in all three goals for the Saints, who were playing the first men's game on their new on-campus field. He scored SMU's first goal and distributed assists on the other two.

Tyler Schultz scored twice for SPU, increasing his team-leading total to six goals. The sophomore midfielder netted the lone goal in SPU's victory at No. 17 Grand Canyon Monday.

“He finished a couple and probably could have had one or two more,” said SPU coach Mark Collings.

Schultz gave the Falcons a 1-0 advantage 3:54 into the contest, collecting the ball during a scramble in front of the goal and slipping it across the goal line from three yards out. That lead held up into halftime.

SMU evened the score just 1:32 into the second half when Orozco converted a penalty kick at 46:32.

Less than five minutes later, the Saints took their first lead on a Kelley Austin shot inside the left post. Orozco and Xan Nixon were credited with assists on the goal at 51:07.

SPU equalized at 2-2 when freshman Charlie Piehler sent a through ball into the box that Schultz deposited into the goal at 67:33. Quick one-two passes by Orozco and Gabe O'Hara set up Voin for the decisive goal at 74:58.

Goalkeeper Kaleb Kuehn made three saves for the Falcons, who were outshot by a slim 12-10 margin. SMU's Zac Lubin also stopped three shots.

“We got outworked, plain and simple. If you don't work hard you aren't going to win many soccer games and they worked harder than we did,” Collings said.

Collings had hoped that his players would be eager to avenge the earlier defeat.

“No excuses. There was plenty for us to play for and we just didn't show up to play today. They were more motivated and we looked very slack and disinterested.”

SMU has now won three straight games against the Falcons, evening the all-time series at 3-3.

October 12

Seattle Pacific Knocks Off No. 17 Grand Canyon 1-0

Tyler Schultz netted the lone goal in the 51st minute Monday and goalkeeper Kaleb Kuehn posted his sixth shutout as 25th-ranked Seattle Pacific defeated No. 17 Grand Canyon 1-0 in a NCAA West Region soccer game at GCU Soccer Field.

The Falcons improved to 9-1-3 with their third straight win. SPU has been brilliant against non-conference foes, compiling a 7-0-2 mark. Grand Canyon's record fell to 10-2-1.

Drew Williams initiated the scoring play, sending a long through ball from 45 yards out that broke Schultz free behind the defense.

Schultz ran on to the pass 25 yards from the goal and dribbled into the box before sending a 12-yard drive into the right side of the Antelopes goal at 50:31. It was his team-high third game-winning goal.

Monday's game was a homecoming for Schultz, a Scottsdale native who prepped at nearby Pinnacle High School. His fourth goal ties him for the team lead.

The SPU defense shut down high-scoring Antelopes' freshman forward Kyle Ciliento, limiting him to just one shot. Ciliento has 15 goals and entered Monday's contest having recorded hat tricks in each of his previous two outings.

Kuehn stopped one shot in each half to preserve the shutout. Ben Paneccasio had three saves for GCU, which was outshot by a slim 5-4 margin.

With six regular-season games remaining, the Falcons already have their most single-season wins since the 2006 squad finished with a 12-7 overall record.

October 11

Saint Martin's Loses 3-1 To Simon Fraser

Streckmann gave SFU a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute, then set up Alex Hanne for a goal at 26:30 to make it 2-0.

The Saints (8-6) pulled back to within one on a goal by Xan Nixon in the 60th minute, but Simon Fraser (11-2) added an insurance goal on a penalty kick a minute later.

Nixon was the Saints' main offensive threat in the contest, accounting for five of their 10 shots, including all four shots that were "on-goal."

Hide Ozawa stopped three of Nixon's attempts. Meanwhile, Zac Lubin had four saves for the Saints, who were outshot 16-10. Both teams took four corners.

October 10

Falcons Beat NNU 2-1 In Overtime

Defender Elliot Morton scored in the 100th minute lifting Seattle Pacific to a 2-1 Great Northwest Athletic Conference soccer overtime victory over Northwest Nazarene Saturday at the NNU Soccer Field.

Danny Brill gave SPU a 1-0 halftime lead on a 10-yard header into the upper left corner in the 36th minute. Brill's goal came off a cross from the right flank by redshirt freshman Corey McGuire.

Goalkeeper Kaleb Kuehn preserved the slim lead into halftime, making three of his five saves during the opening period.

The Crusaders, however, got the equalizer at 79:33 on a penalty kick by Alex Mangeac forcing overtime.

Morton abruptly ended the game with just 50 seconds left in the first overtime session. He gathered a deflection off a shot from Drew Williams, touched the ball around a defender and sent a 12-yard strike into the net at 99:10. The game-winner was Morton's second goal of the season.

Cesar Lira was credited with four saves for NNU. The two teams attempted an equal number of shots at 12 apiece. Morton's game-ending shot gave SPU a 3-2 edge in attempts during overtime.

Despite the even shot count, the Falcons were the aggressors. SPU attempted nine corner kicks to just three for NNU (5-7-1, 0-3-1) and was whistled for offside on nine occasions to one for the Crusaders.

With seven regular-season games remaining, the Falcons (8-1-3, 2-1-1) already have their most single-season wins since the 2006 squad finished with a 12-7 overall record.

The win also pulled SPU to within two points of first-place Saint Martin's and within one point of second-place Montana State Billings at the halfway point of the conference season.

October 9

Charles Scores In Overtime in 3-2 Win

October 8

Crusaders Defeat Rocky Mountain 3-1

John Stump scored a goal to break a 1-1 tie in the 60th minute, then assisted on an insurance goal in the 77th minute to lead Northwest Nazarene to a 3-1 win over Rocky Mountain Wednesday in Billings.

The Bears jumped to a 1-0 lead in the fifth minute on a goal from freshmen Alex Ritson, but Northwest Nazarene tied the game on a 13th minute penalty kick from Renatto Brito.

Stump scored off an assist from Drew Shidaker at 59:16, then set up Chris Arellamo at 76:36.

NNU finished the contest with a 20-9 shot advantage, including 12-5 in shots on goal. Cesar Lira earned four saves to earn the victory. The Crusaders also had a 7-4 lead in corner kicks.

The Crusaders completed their three-game road trip to Billings with a 2-0-1 record to improve to 5-6-1 on the season.They tied MSU Billings 2-2 on Saturday before defeating the University of Mary 2-1 on Tuesday.

October 6

Northwest Nazarene Edges Mary 2-1 on Late Goal by Brito

Brito controlled an assist by Kyle Gaedke on the left side in the 89th minute, beat two Mary defenders and sent the game winner inside the far post as UM goalkeeper Derek Luptak came on to challenge. 

"They are a tough, physical team, and it was a good show of character to come out on top," NNU head coach Coe Michaelson said. 

The Crusaders (4-6-1) opened the scoring in the 18th minute when Alex Mangeac scored his sixth goal of the season, beating one defender off an Alonso Avila assist through the middle, and finishing with a right-footed shot inside the far post. 

Mangeac leads the Crusaders in scoring and now ranks second in the GNAC in goals scored.

Coach Michaelson's team expected to take the 1-0 lead to the break, however, Mary's leading scorer Nikola Nikolic evened the score at 43:09, converting an assist from Matt Binegar just before the half.  It was Nikolic's team-leading 10th goal of the season.

"It was deflating to be tied at the half," Michaelson added.  "We played a solid opening half, especially with the conditions being so cold and windy.  However, credit the players character to come out in the second half, control the play, and finish at the end." 

Weather conditions included temperatures in the low-40's with 20 to 25 mph winds. The game was originally scheduled for Monday but was snowed out.

NNU, which played MSU Billings to a 2-2 tie Saturday, will complete their three-game series in Billings Wednesday morning against Rocky Mountain.

October 5

Saints Grab GNAC Lead With Win

Freshman forward Conner Biggs scored the game-winning goal in the 70th minute as Saint Martin's defeated Western Washington 2-1 in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's soccer game Monday at the Regional Athletic Complex in Lacey.

Saint Martin's (8-5-0, 3-1-0), which upset nationally No.24-ranked Seattle Pacific 3-2 last Thursday, moved into first-place with the victory. SMU has nine points, one more than second-place Montana State Billings.

Biggs' goal came from 10 yards into the right hand corner of the goal off a cross from Xan Nixon. 

SMU, which outshot WWU 16-8 and had a 5-1 corner kick advantage, held a 1-0 lead at halftime as Ruben Orozco received a short free kick from Tony Armitage, moved the ball up the field and sent a shot from 30 yards out.

Western Washington (4-8-0, 1-3-0), which has lost seven of its last nine games, tied the score at 1-1 in the 56th minute when Kellan Brown stole the ball deep in the Saints' end, played it through to Tyler Bjork, who ran in on the right side and slotted a shot from 12 yards.

“We were a little unlucky in the first half not scoring some goals on some great chances,” SMU coach Rob Walker said  “Western came back in the second half, revved it up and made it difficult for us. I would have liked to see us smooth things out but I'm happy with the result.”

“I was proud of how we played in the second half,” said WWU coach Travis Connell.  “Even though things haven't been going great for us, we still showed some heart and character, coming out and scoring and putting pressure on them.  Then they counterattacked us and got a goal really against the run of play.” 

October 3

Falcons Edge Western Washington, NNU Earns Tie With MSUB

Enis Isufi scored in the 14th minute and Kaleb Kuehn preserved the shutout with two second-half saves as Seattle Pacific defeated Western Washington 1-0 in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference soccer game Saturday night at Orca Field.

In Saturday's other game, Northwest Nazarene rallied from a two-goal deficit to tie Montana State Billings 2-2.

Seattle Pacific, which surpassed last season's victory total, improved to 7-1-3 and 1-1-1 in conference play. SPU finished with a 6-10-3 record a year ago.

Isufi received a pass from Drew Williams at the top of the box. He turned and fired a low, 17-yard shot into the left side of the goal at 13:52 for his first goal of the season.

Kuehn stopped two of the Vikings' three second-half shots for his fifth shutout. He denied Western's most dangerous opportunity, diving to save an eight-yard shot by Tyler Bjork in the 48th minute.

Goalkeeper Cameron Copps-Tilley was credited with three saves for WWU (4-7-0, 1-2-0), which was outshot by a 14-7 margin.

Isufi nearly netted an insurance goal early in the second half. He knocked one shot off the crossbar in the 56th minute and, 20 seconds later, had an attempt carom off the right post.

At Billings, Sam Charles got MSUB (7-2-2, 2-0-2) off to a 1-0 lead scoring in the seventh minute to extend his GNAC record streak of games with a point to 14.

MSUB then went ahead of Northwest Nazarene 2-0 in the opening minute of the second half on a goal by Garion Holian.

NNU (3-6-1, 0-2-1), however, got unassisted goals from Matt Larson at 54:55 and John Stump at 70:19 to tie it. The two teams then played 40 more scoreless minutes minutes before settling for the tie.

"Coming back from being down two goals and staying focused was a big step for us today," NNU coach Coe Michaelson said. "We played without some key people and I think a draw was a fair result.

"We gave up an early goal in each half, but settled down in both halves and in the overtimes. The match could have gone either way, so to get a draw on the road against a good MSUB team...we are happy with that."

Montana State Billings, which got assists on both of its goals from Jeremy DeHerrera, finished the contest with an 18-13 shot advantage, including 12-7 on goal. The 'Jackets also had a 6-1 edge in corner kicks.

MSUB goalkeeper Matt Mitchell had five saves, while Cesar Lira, a former JC All-American at North Idaho, had eight saves in his NNU debut.

MSUB earned one point with the victory, moving two points ahead of second-place Saint Martin's in the GNAC standings.

October 1

Saint Martin's Rallies From Two Down To Beat SPU

Victor Kelmel redirected a Vlad Voin corner kick into the net at the 59:05 mark, capping a three-goal comeback as Saint Martin's beat 24th-ranked Seattle Pacific 3-2 in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's soccer game at Interbay Stadium Thursday night.

The Falcons (6-1-3, 0-1-1), who had allowed just five goals in their previous nine games, were hit with their first loss of the season. Saint Martin's (7-5-0, 2-1-0) won for the second straight year at Interbay.

SPU scored twice in the first 19 minutes of the game to take a 2-0 lead, with sophomore defender Elliot Morton getting his first career goal at 7:46 and freshman midfielder Richie Evoy netting his third at 18:30.

But the Saints then tallied twice within 13 minutes later in the first half to tie it at 2-2. Xan Nixon scored his team-leading sixth at 20:25, beating Falcons goalkeeper Kaleb Kuehn one on one to the back left corner.

Gabe O'Hara got the equalizer when he went up in traffic in the six-yard box and got a head to a long throw-in from Brandon Scott at 33:17.

Seattle Pacific outshot SMU 21-13 and had twice as many (10-5) on goal, but Saint keeper Zac Luben had eight saves and kept SPU off the board over the final 71:25.

September 26

Yellowjackets Defeat Saints 1-0

The Yellowjackets (7-2-1, 2-0-1) have earned seven points in their three conference contests. Saint Martin's (6-5-0, 1-1-0) and Western Washington (4-6-0, 1-1-0) are tied for second with three points each.

The Vikings earned their first conference victory of the season Saturday defeating Northwest Nazarene 3-1.

At Lacey, Moriarty's goal was set up by Sam Charles, who failed to score for the second game in a row but extended his GNAC-record streak to 13 games with a point (goal or an assist).

Saint Martin's outshot MSUB 13-6, including seven on goal. Two went off the post and Matt Mitchell saved five others in recording his third shutout of the season. Zac Lubin had two saves for Saint Martin's.

A pair of goals just 52 seconds apart lifted Western Washington to its victory at Orca Field as the Vikings snapped a three-game losing streak.

The game was tied at 1-1 inside the last 17 minutes before Western took control behind two plays involving midfielder Matt Fishbaugher.

First, Fishbaugher played a through ball to forward Gibson Bardsley that Bardsley chipped in from 15 yards to give Western the lead.  Soon after, Fishbaugher scored himself with a 30-yard blast from the right side.  Both goals came in the 74th minute.

NNU (3-6-0, 0-2-0) had held a 1-0 lead at halftime as forward John Stump received a long pass from Alex Mangeac at the right corner of the penalty area, stepped inside a defender and drilled a low shot just inside the near post.

Western evened the score in the 50th minute as midfielder Oscar Jimenez scored on a volley from 20 yards after the ball came to him as a result of a contested ball between midfielder Kellan Brown and NNU goalkeeper Alexander Engemann. 

The Vikings had an 18-12 edge in shots, including an 11-4 advantage in the first half. 

September 24

Montana State Billings, Saint Martin's Earn OT Wins

Meanwhile at Lacey, Austin Kelly converted a throw-in by Brandon Scott in the 106th minute to snap a 1-1 tie and give Saint Martin's a 2-1 win over Northwest Nazarene. It was the conference opener for both teams.

MSUB (6-2-1) improved to 1-0-1 in the GNAC in handing Western Washington (3-6-0) a loss in its conference opener. The Vikings have lost three straight and five of six. Three of its six losses have been in overtime.

Western Washington, which trailed 1-0 for more than 85 minutes before getting a goal from Kellan Brown in the 89th minute, almost won the game in overtime, but a goal by Keith Ferris was waived off by an offside call.

MSUB scored in the third minute as forward Sam Charles held off a defender deep in the penalty area and fed Jeremy DeHerrera, whose low shot through traffic found the right corner of the goal.

Brown tied it at 88:18 after taking a long pass from Tyler Bjork, fighting off a defender as he reached the penalty area and then tapping the ball just over the onrushing dive of MSUB keeper Matt Mitchell. Mitchell had six saves in earning the win.

"This was our best performance of the year," MSUB coach Dan McNally said. "We played great for the first 88 minutes. . .In overtime, we worked really hard and found a way to win. This is a great conference victory against a good Western Washington team."

Charles' assist on MSUB's first goal extended his GNAC record string with a point to 12 games, however, his GNAC record string of nine games with a goal was snapped.

At Lacey, Saint Martin's (6-4) dominated the action, outshooting Northwest Nazarene (3-5) by a 23-8 margin. Shots on goal favored the Saints 9-5.

SMU trailed 1-0 at halftime as Alonso Avila scored for NNU in the 40th minute, but the Saints pulled even at 54:54 on a goal by Xan Nixon.

Alex Mangeac earned an assist on NNU's goal and Vlad Voin and Victor Kelmel assisted on Nixon's tally.

Zac Lubin had four saves in earning the win for the Saints. Alexander Engemann had five saves for NNU.

September 21

Evoy Keys Win As Seattle Pacific Matches 2008 Win Total

Evoy scored one goal and forced a foul in box to lead SPU to 2-1 win. (SPU File Photo)

Freshman Richie Evoy created two goals during the final 83 seconds Monday lifting Seattle Pacific to a 2-1 come-from-behind victory in a non-conference soccer game against the University of Mary at Wendy's Field in Billings. Mont.

Evoy scored the equalizer at 88:37 and 43 seconds later drew a foul in the box to earn the winning penalty kick at 89:20 by senior Alec Nelson.

The game was a neutral-site affair played at Rocky Mountain College, which is a five-hour drive from Mary's Bismarck, N.D. campus.

SPU maintained its undefeated record, improving to 6-0-3. The Falcons have already equaled their win total from last season when the finished with a 6-10-3 mark.

The Marauders (4-6-1) were outshot by a 21-5 margin. But their third attempt found the SPU goal. Nikola Nikolic dribbled to the right corner of the box and sent a strike into the left side-netting at 47:01.

Mary took a defensive posture, attempting to preserve its one-goal lead for the final 43 minutes. The extra defenders made it difficult for the Falcons to score despite a 14-3 advantage in second-half shots.

SPU finally broke through with 1:23 left in the contest. Goalkeeper Kaleb Kuehn served a long ball from his box to sophomore Elliot Morton who flicked a header into the Mary box. Evoy collected the ball on the left side and slotted a 16-yard shot inside the right post.

The Falcons quickly gained possession after the kickoff and Evoy again found himself with the ball in the Mary box. As he turned to face the goal, Evoy was fouled.

Nelson converted the ensuing penalty kick with 40 seconds left to play. That was the second successful penalty kick in as many tries this season for Nelson, who leads SPU with four goals and two game-winning scores. Kuehn was not required to make a save for SPU, while his Mary counterpart Derek Luptak stopped eight shots.

September 20

Charles Continues Record Onslaught

Sam Charles scored two goals and also earned an assist leading Montana State Billings to a 3-1 home win over Jamestown Sunday.

Charles continued to rewrite the GNAC record book setting new conference records for most consecutive games with a point (goal or assist) and with a goal.

He has earned a point in 11 consecutive games, breaking the old record of 10 set by Pat Doran of Seattle University in 2002 and equaled by the Redhawks' Alex Chursky in 2004.

He broke his own record for most consecutive games with a goal, finding the back of the net for the ninth game in a row. Charles, who now has 49 career goals and 110 points in his three seasons in the GNAC, scored in eight consecutive games during the 2007 season.

Charles helped give MSUB all the offense it needed in the first 12 minutes, setting up a goal by Garion Holian at 5:32, then converting passes from Jarred Weisen and Holian at 11:10.

Charles added another goal, his 11th of the season, in the 66th minute as MSUB, which outshot Jamestown 27-11, opened up a 3-0 lead. Chris Andre received credit for his league-leading fifth assist on that goal.

The visitors later got on the board in the 76th minute on a penalty kick ruining the shutout for Sander Tollefson, who earned eight saves.

September 19

Seattle Pacific, MSUB Play To a 1-1 Tie

Sam Charles scored his league-leading ninth goal of the season for Montana State Billings and Seattle Pacific freshman Jon Pearman scored his first collegiate goal as the Yellowjackets and Falcons played to a 1-1 tie in the GNAC opener for both teams Saturday at Yellowjacket Field.

The Falcons (5-0-3) kept their undefeated record intact, while MSUB is now 4-2-1.

In a non-conference game, Western Washington fell to 3-5-0 with a 3-2 home loss to Simon Fraser.

Pearman headed a near-post corner kick off the frame and into the goal at 71:16 to tie the game after Charles, who has 47 goals and 105 points in three seasons in the GNAC, had given MSUB a 1-0 lead on an 18th-minute strike.

Charles, who has tallied a goal in every game this season, ran on to a through ball and directed it into the back of the net at 17:54 tying his own GNAC record by scoring in his eighth consecutive game.

Charles also equaled the GNAC record for most consecutive games with a point of 10 set by Pat Doran of Seattle University in 2002 and equaled by the Redhawks' Alex Chursky in 2004.

Kaleb Kuehn denied several other first-half advances by the Billings attack. All three of his saves came before halftime, including an outstanding stop of a 37th minute attempt by Chris Andrew.

Matt Mitchell had six saves for the Yellowjackets, who were outshot by an 18-10 margin.

“Overall I think the 1-1 tie was a fair result today,” MSUB head coach Dan McNally said. “I thought we were the better team in the first half and it was disappointing we couldn't add to our lead. 

"In the second half, SPU played very well and made it difficult for us.  I am disappointed with the goal we conceded, but I am proud of our guys' effort on a very hot day.”

Forward Gibson Bardsley and midfielder Matt Fishbaugher scored goals for Western Washington, but the Vikings still suffered their fourth loss in the last five contests.

Simon Fraser (7-2-0) opened the scoring just 4:43 into the game as Roman Doutkevitch finished from the goal mouth after Josh Bennett put in a cross from the right side.

Western evened the score in the ninth minute as Bardsley heading home a Oscar Jimenez free kick, but Simon Fraser regained the lead in the 32nd minute as Bennett and Gary Badesha combined to free Alex Hanne in the penalty area, and Hanne patiently finished from six yards.

Simon Fraser, which outhit the Vikings 20-9, got an insurance goal in the 85th minute as John Hodnett scored with an assist from Colin Streckmann before Western closed the scoring with just seven seconds left on a blast from 16 yards by Fishbaugher with his first touch of a pass from midfielder Kellan Brown.

September 16

NNU Edges College of Idaho on Penalty Kick

Renatto Brito converted a penalty kick in the 58th minute for the lone goal as Northwest Nazarene upended the College of Idaho 1-0 in a game at Syringa Middle School in Caldwell, Idaho, Wednesday.

After controlling the play in the first half but not scoring a goal, the Crusaders (3-4) took advantage of a foul in the far corner of the penalty box - with Brito driving home the winner past C of I keeper Aaron Reynolds, to the far left corner of the net.

The Yotes (1-2) had a pair of good opportunities to tie the score as Jesus Lopez struck the far post on a corner kick in the 60th minute, then Drew Smith was turned away by NNU keeper Alexander Engemann.

Both teams ended up taking 12 shots in the game. NNU had a 7-3 advantage in the first half and C of I outshot the Crusaders 7-3 in the second. NNU also had three more corners (7-4). Engemann had two saves in recording the shutout.

September 15

Western Washington, Saint Martin's Suffer Losses

Western Washington fell 4-0 to Grand Canyon in a non-conference men's soccer game Tuesday at the GCU Soccer Field.

“They started the game really well and mentally we just couldn't recover and change it,” WWU coach Travis Connell said.  “We kept on doing the same things, and that wasn't good enough.  Mentally we were just a little bit soft today, and they're a good team and they made us pay for it.”

Grand Canyon scored in the second minute when Kyle Cilento found the right corner with his sixth goal of the young season.  The Antelopes got two more goals in the first half – in the 19th minute by Nick Sykes on a header off a corner and by Tom Hurdle from the right side in the 35th minute.

Two minutes into the second half, Grand Canyon's Joshua Ademosa got a loose ball and put it in the net to complete the scoring. Both teams ended up taking 11 shots and four corners and both starting goalkeepers – WWU's Cameron Copps-Tilley and GCU's Ben Paneccasio – had one save in the game that was played in 100 degree heat.

In Tuesday's other game, Sean Daughtry converted a corner kick at 88:26 to give George Fox (3-2) a 3-2 road win at Saint Martin's (5-4).

September 13

Vikings Blank Mesa State 3-0

Three different players scored goals and goalkeeper Cameron Copps-Tilley made five saves in registering a shutout as Western Washington blanked Mesa State 3-0 in a non-conference game Sunday night at the Grand Canyon University Soccer Field.

Montana State Billings also earned a win Sunday defeating Mary 2-1 as Sam Charles registered his 17th career game-winning goal since MSUB joined the GNAC breaking the old conference record of 16 set by Seattle University's Bobby McAlister between 2002 and 2005.

Western Washington, playing its first road contest following five home games to open the season, snapped a two-game losing streak as it improved to 3-3-0.  Two of its losses have been in overtime to nationally ranked teams.

Western forward Justin Moore scored in the 23rd minute from 12 yards out after a shot by Chris Jepson, who had made a long run, was blocked by a defender. 

Oscar Jimenez found the net for the Vikings with a laser from 25 yards in the 48th minute after receiving a cross from Darragh Simm. Western then got an unassisted goal from Jin Dangvan in the 83rd minute as he beat three defenders and found the lower right corner with a left-footed shot from 20 yards.

The goals for Moore and Dangvan were the first of their brief collegiate careers. Both teams had 13 shots and Mesa State had a 3-2 edge in corner kicks.

Charles' game-winner came in the 61st minute as he extending his streak of games with a goal to seven dating back to the final game of the 2008 season. Charles already owns the GNAC record of eight which he set between Aug. 23 and Sept. 20, 2007.

Earlier in the game, MSUB (4-2-0), which outshot Mary 14-9, got a goal from Garion Holian in the 18th minute. Ross Carmichael was awarded assists of both of MSUB's goals. Goalkeeper Matt Mitchell had three saves.

September 12

Falcons Rout 20th Ranked Metro State

Alec Nelson and Drew Williams scored just two minutes apart midway through the first half as Seattle Pacific routed 20th-ranked Metro State 4-1 Saturday afternoon at Interbay Stadium.

In Satursday's only other games involving GNAC teams, Saint Martin's defeated Pacific Lutheran 3-1 and Northwest Nazarene lost to Dixie State 2-1.

Christopher Morris and Tyler Schultz added second-half goals for Seattle Pacific, which stayed unbeaten in seven starts (5-0-2). Schultz and Williams also had one assist apiece. SPU's four goals was as many as Metro State (3-2-0) had allowed in its previous four games this season. Last year Metro beat SPU 4-1.

The last time the Falcons scored that many goals in a game was in a 4-2 victory against Saint Martin's on Oct. 16, 2007. SPU now has seven goals in its last two games.

Conner Biggs, Xan Nixon and Ruben Orozco scored goals for Saint Martin's (5-3) in its neutral site victory at Spokane.

Biggs gave SMU a 1-0 lead in the first half after taking a pass from Tony Armitage and Nixon scored the eventually game-winning goal early in the second half, chipping a shot over the goalkeeper from 25 yards away. Chase Franklin was credited with an assist.

PLU scored at 59:26 to cut the Saints' lead in half, but Orozco scored from 30 yards five minutes later to establish the final margin. Both teams took 15 shots. Zac Lubin had five saves for SMU.

Dixie State scored goals on a penalty kick by Parker Kennah in the 23rd minute and a one-on-one by Jordan Roylance in the 61st minute in its win. Alonso Avila netted NNU's goal in the 62nd minute. Alonso Avila earned the assist.

September 11

Whitworth Beats Saint Martin's 2-0

Whitworth scored a pair of goals two minutes apart midway through the second half in defeating Saint Martin's 2-0 Friday in a non-conference soccer game in Spokane.

Justin Meyer got the game-winning goal in the 64th minute and Taylor Willi added an insurance goal at 65:15.

Cameron Bushey earned assists on both goals.Saint Martin's, which had a four-game win streak snapped, outshot the Pirates 17-9, including 10-4 in the second half.

September 10

Yellowjackets, Vikings Lose In Overtime

Montana State Billings (3-2-0) and Western Washington (2-3-0) both sustained home overtime losses in non-conference games Thursday.

Colorado State Pueblo edged MSUB 2-1 on an unassisted goal by Erik Anderson in the 105th minute.

CSUP threw the ball in on the right side where it was served into the six. It looked like a rugby scrum with all the bodies in the area.  Anderson, however, was able to get a toe on the ball for the game winner.

Mike Martinez scored in the second minute of overtime as 20th ranked Metro State beat Western Washington 2-1.

The winning goal came after a series of passes that ended with Tyler Hambrick getting the ball on the end line left of the goal and feeding Martinez, who came in from the right and finished with a tap-in from the goalmouth.

Both regulation goals in the Pueblo-MSUB contest came in the first half. Brandon Hughes scored in the 14th minute for the visitors. Sam Charles, however, tied it at 1-1 with his seventh goal of the season in the 30th minute.

Charles took a long pass from Tom Milroy and fired on CSUP goalkeeper Chris Smith, who blocked the ball but couldn't corral it and Charles had an easy shot to the right post. 

The goal enabled Charles to become the first player in GNAC history to recorded 100 or more points, increasing his total to 101 (45 goals, 11 assists).

MSUB finished the contest with an 18-13 edge in shots. Matt Mitchell had six saves.

At Bellingham, Metro jumped to an early 1-0 lead in the 12th minute before midfielder Kellan Brown scored Western Washington's goal in the 21st minute to tie that game at 1-1.

Forward Justin Moore won a loose ball and played it to Oscar Jimenez, who in turn fed Brown.  Brown then blasted the ball into the upper right corner of the net for his fourth goal in the last three games.

Western had a 16-10 edge in shots, and had two decent chances in the last three minutes of regulation when Brendan Quilici headed a cross over the bar and a Brown shot from the top of the penalty area skidded wide left.

September 9

Saint Martin's Blanks Whitman For Fourth Straight Win

Saint Martin's scored two second-half goals Wednesday in defeating Whitman 2-0 in a non-conference game at Walla Walla. The win was the fourth straight for the Saints.

Ruben Orozco scored from 18 yards away in the 48th minute to give SMU (4-2) the early 1-0 lead. Orozco's goal was set up by Austin Kelley.

Later Xan Nixon added an insurance goal in the 82nd minute from 10 yards away into the far right post. Vlad Voin was credited with an assist.

SMU outshot the Missionaries 20-11 in the contest. Zac Lubin had one save in recording his second and the team's third shutout of the season.

September 8

Falcons Improve to 4-0-2 With Road Win

Danny Brill gave Seattle Pacific the lead for good coming off the bench to score a goal late in the first half in a 3-1 NCAA Division II West Region men's soccer victory over Cal State Monterey Bay Tuesday at the Otter Soccer Complex.

The Falcons (4-0-2) came away from the first road outing with their undefeated record intact. They concluded a season-opening five-game homestand on Saturday. The Otters remained winless (0-3).

Brill opened the scoring just six minutes after entering the game. Christopher Morris beat a couple defenders down the right flank before serving a cross that Brill volleyed from eight yards into the Otters net at 38:40.

Tyler Schultz extended the Falcons lead to 2-0 five minutes after halftime. Drew Williams dribbled into the box and slipped a diagonal through pass that Schultz collected before sending a 10-yard strike into the goal at 50:16.

Monterey Bay got on the board just over two minutes later on a penalty kick by Nate Torricelli. It was just the second goal against the Falcons in 582 minutes of play this season.

SPU netted an insurance goal at 61:28 on a play that mirrored their second tally. Alec Nelson brought the ball into the box before distributing a pass that Ryan Brand finished for his second goal of the season.

SPU outshot the Otters by a 13-6 margin. Falcon keeper Kaleb Kuehn had one save.

September 7

Saint Martin's Edges Humboldt State 4-3

Chase Franklin scored a goal in the 85th minute enabling Saint Martin's (3-2) to defeat Humboldt State 4-3 Monday in a NCAA West Region contest in Lacey.

Two other GNAC teams surrendered one-goal leads in losses. Chico State overcame a 2-1 deficit with goals in the 59th and 88th minute to beat Western Washington 3-2.

Mary scored goals 44 seconds apart in the 81st and 82nd minutes to beat Northwest Nazarene 3-2.

The Saints never trailed after vaulting to a 2-0 lead on first-half goals by Xan Nixon and Victor Kelmel. Vlad Voin put SMU ahead 3-1 at 47:34 and later Franklin's goal made it 4-2.

HSU's Ben Vasser scored his second goal of the game at 85:08 to cut the final margin to one. The Lumberjacks outshot the Saints 15-10, but Zac Lubin had seven saves to earn the win.

Midfielder Kellan Brown scored a pair of goals for Western Washington (2-2-0), but Chico State overcame a 2-1 deficit with goals by Adam Raish at 58:20 and Kevin Gibson at 87:01 to earn its third win against one loss.

Gibson, who also scored in the first half, knocked in a rebound from the goal mouth off a shot by Luis Martinez.

Brown, who has scored Western's last three goals and has been involved in the last four, twice gave the Vikings the lead.

He opened the scoring in the 15th minute on a penalty kick after forward Justin Moore was brought down in the penalty area. Brown's attempt was saved by Chico State goalkeeper Michael Keohane, but Brown then blasted home the rebound.

Brown also gave the Vikings a 2-1 lead in the 57th minute finishing off a Sean Conner cross that was headed on by Moore.

Chico State had a 17-13 edge in shots.  Western goalkeeper Cameron Copps-Tilley, making his first start of the season, had two saves.

Northwest Nazarene (2-3-0) jumped to a 2-0 lead against Mary getting goals from Sal Sanchez at 39:27 and 48:31 before the Marauders rallied to win.

Ben Bawden pulled Mary even at 80:44 before Nikola Nikolic got the game winner at 81:28 on a free kick from 25 yards away. NNU played the final 16 minutes a man short after Ben Mangeac received his second yellow card of the contest.

September 5

Seattle Pacific Stays Unbeaten

Alec Nelson punched in the rebound of his own shot just 2:05 into overtime Saturday night, giving the Seattle Pacific a 1-0 West Region soccer victory against Chico State at Interbay Stadium.

Western Washington also got a West Region victory defeating Humboldt State 2-1. Meanwhile, Northwest Nazarene outscored Academy of the Art 4-1.

Seattle Pacific (3-0-2) has now played three overtime games in its five starts.

Its winning goal came after a ball deep into the penalty area landed near the top of Chico goalkeeper Michael Keohane's six-yard box. Keohane made the save on the initial shot by Nelson but the rebound ricocheted out toward the right post, and Nelson, a senior midfielder, was there to punch it in.

Chico State had a ball in the net with 8:41 left in the first half, but it was waved off because of a Wildcat foul around the goalmouth area.

SPU goalkeeper Kaleb Kuehn posted his third shutout of the year, making two saves on 13 shots. The Falcons fired 16 shots, 13 of them after halftime. Keohane had five saves.

Midfielder Kellan Brown scored one goal and set up another with two amazing dribbling runs in Western Washington's win at Orca Field on the campus of Whatcom Community College . 

Brown helped the Vikings (2-1) take the lead a little over a minute into the contest, dribbling around two defenders and slotting a pass to forward Brendan Quilici , who scored from 16 yards out.

Brown then doubled the margin in the 59th minute.  Taking the ball in the center circle, he dribbled past one defender, then reaching the top of the penalty area, weaved through a cluster of Lumberjacks and finished with a shot low to the right corner from 10 yards out.

Humboldt State responded in the 69th minute as Scott Mariani tapped in a low cross from the left by Josh Suggs.

“We've dominated every team we've played so far in shots,” said Western coach Travis Connell whose team outshot the 'Jacks 22-13.   “We got up with the early goal and then Kellan took it upon himself to get the second one.  It's what you want as a team.”

Alex Mangeac's hat trick led Northwest Nazarene to its win over the Academy of the Arts.

His first goal came on a free kick as he bent the ball around the defensive wall and inside the near post for the 1-0 lead.

The Crusaders built on that lead early in the second half as Sal Sanchez sent a pass upfield to Mangeac who split the Urban Knights defense, chipped the ball over goalie Ian Sutherland and had a wide open goal to boot the ball into just 3:14 into the second half.

Less than nine minutes later Mangeac completed the hat trick as Ben Mangeac dribbled through the defense, spinning in front of Sutherland, and found his brother open for another easy score.

September 4

Charles, Mitchell Key MSUB Victory

A pair of goals from Sam Charles and a superb goalkeeping performance by Matt Mitchell was the difference Friday as Montana State Billings earned a 2-0 road win at Cal Poly Pomona. It was the first loss of the season in three games for the CCAA team.

Charles put MSUB (3-1) on the scoreboard at the 18-minute mark on a feed from Chris Andre.

Eleven minutes later, he added his second when he got tied up at the top of the box, broke out and got the ball past Broncos goalkeeper Thomas Ryan.

The two goals extended Charles' GNAC career records for goals and points to 44 and 99, respectively.

“The most important part of today's game was they finished their shots,'' CPP coach Lance Thompson said. “You got to give them all the credit. Their keeper came up time and again and made some big-time saves.''

The Broncos outshot the Yellowjackets 26-8, but MSUB keeper Matt Mitchell had 11 saves in recording the shutout. Pomona also took six of the game's eight corners.

September 3

Seattle Pacific Stays Unbeaten, Saints Post Second Straight Shutout

Seattle Pacific surrendered its first goal of the season, but remained unbeaten battling to a draw wtih Humboldt State Thursday at Interbay Stadium.

The Falcons moved their record to 2-0-2 with a 1-1 standoff in a game they dominated, outshooting the Lumberjacks 25-10 and having a 16-4 advantage in corner kicks including 16-0 in regulation.

SPU took a 1-0 lead near the end of the first half as freshman midfielder Richie Evoy headed in a cross at the 43:40 mark. Danny Brill and Andy Wolverton were credited with assists.

The cross brought Lumberjacks goalkeeper Kyle Verle off his line, and Evoy had a wide-open net, sending his header to the back right corner. Humboldt, however, tied it at 1-1 on a counter attack goal by Josh Suggs at 62:41.

Meanwhile Saint Martin's evened its record at 2-2 with a 4-0 home shutout of Cal State East Bay, earning back-to-back shutouts for the first team in its school history, a feat also accomplished by the Saint women on Thursday.

Saint Martin's peppered the East Bay net for 18 shots, including nine on goal, while surrendering three shots. Zac Lubin had two saves in 83 1/2 minutes before TJ Young finished up.

After a scoreless first half, Conner Biggs had the first two of four second-half goals for the Saints. Both were assisted by Xan Nixon. Chase Franklin made it 3-0 at 72:01 on an unassisted goal. Ruben Orozco then completed the scoring with a penalty kick at 77:20.

September 2

MSUB Loses In Overtime at CSLA

A Federico Cino goal at the 97:04 mark lifted sixth-ranked Cal State L.A. to a 2-1 overtime victory over visiting Montana State Billings Wednesday evening at Jesse Owens Track. 

“It was a tough loss,” MSUB head coach Dan McNally said.  “We played a very good team and we had our chances to win, unfortunately that didn't happen, but I am proud of the guys' effort and we now will concentrate on our next game at Cal Poly Pomona.”

In the overtime period, much of the play was on the offensive end for CSULA as it has three good looks.  One shot was blocked and one by Cino went high before the game winner. 

Cino took the ball after a throw in and fired from the left side of the 18-yard box past a diving Matt Mitchell for the game winner.  Mickey Daly and Jason Swope assisted on the goal.

Cino also got the Golden Eagles on the board in the 30th minute as he received a pass from Mauricio Barrett for the score and a 1-0 lead. 

Less than 10 minutes later, MSUB  forward Sam Charles received a pass from Ryan Covey and scored to even the game 1-1. With the score, Charles broke the GNAC all-time scoring record with his 95th point.

The old record of 93 career points was set by Bobby McAlister of Seattle University (2002-2005).  It was Charles' 111th point of his career including his freshman season in the Heartland Conference.

The game remained 1-1 at half.  CSULA had a 13-5 lead in shots in the first half and a 3-2 lead in corner kicks in the half. 

In the second half, MSUB tallied four shots and had a great look at the end of regulation to win it as Jeremy DeHerrera's shot sailed high just before time expired.  For the game MSUB was outshot 23-9.

September 1

Seattle Pacific Edges Cal State East Bay 1-0

Ryan Brand scored on a 25-yard strike in the 66th minute to give Seattle Pacific a 1-0 non-conference soccer victory over Cal State East Bay at Interbay Stadium Tuesday night.

In Tuesday's only other game, Western Washington evened its record at 1-1 with a 4-1 home win against Evergreen State.

Seattle Pacific, which has not surrendered a goal this season, improved their record to 2-0-1 with its victory dropping Cal State East Bay to 1-1.

Brand's goal halted a 179-minute scoreless streak for the Falcons, who played 17th-ranked Sonoma State to a 0-0 tie a day earlier. Six SPU starters from Monday's 110-minute marathon, including Brand, sat out the first half of Tuesday's game.

Those six players were in the lineup to open the second half and helped the Falcons control the run of play during the final 45 minutes. SPU outshot the Pioneers 12-4 after halftime.

In the 61st minute, Brand found himself open with the ball in the center of the box. His 12-yard shot traveled wide. Brand, however, didn't miss on the next opportunity five minutes later.

After collecting the ball with some space 30 yards from the goal, he dribbled five yards toward the box before unleashing a drive that found the lower left side of the Pioneers' goal at 65:31.

Freshman Zach Johnson made his collegiate debut in goal for the Falcons. The Snohomish (Wash.) High School product saved two shots en route to a shutout. Billy Morales was credited with five saves for the Pioneers, who were outshot by a 21-7 margin.

Western Washington, which outshot Evergreen 33-5, got an own goal at 24:03, then added three more goals in the first half in opening up a 4-0 lead at halftime.

The own goal came when a cross from the left by forward Tyler Bjork was turned in by the Geoducks' Kyle Foster. Bjork then assisted on the second goal.  His shot was saved by Evergreen goalkeeper Nathan Salvason, but Kenny Parker pounced on the rebound to finish from seven yards out.

Forward Gibson Bardsley picked up the third goal in the 41st minute, stealing a backpass to the goalkeeper and getting a tap in, then midfielder Oscar Jimenez capped the charge in the 44th minute, scoring unassisted from 19 yards out off a corner kick.

August 31

Three Shutouts, Two Wins For GNAC

GNAC teams did not allow a goal and came away with two victories and a draw in non-conference soccer games Monday.

Seattle Pacific and Sonoma State battled to a scoreless deadlock at Interbay Stadium. Meanwhile, Saint Martin's and Northwest Nazarene picked up road wins.

The Saints (1-2) edged Cal State Monterey Bay 1-0 in the final game of the Chico State Invitational. The Crusaders (1-2) blanked Colorado Christian 3-0 in the final contest of a three-game road trip to Colorado.

SPU's Kaleb Kuehn, the Saints' Zac Lubin and the Crusaders' Alexander Engemann all earned shutouts for their respective teams. Kuehn had three saves, Lubin had four and Engemann had five.

Kuehn's shutout may have been the most impressive of the three. The Falcons (1-0-1) were outshot 18-5 in the double overtime game and also gave up seven corner kick opportunities to the nationally 17th ranked Seawolves, who beat Western Washington 2-1 in overtime on Saturday.

Kuehn's biggest save came with 14:30 left in the second half when he came off his line to make a sliding save on a shot by Sonoma's Casey Bernard in the left side of the penalty area about eight yards up from the net.

In two games, Kuehn has four saves and hasn't allowed a goal in 200 minutes. He had just one shutout all of last year.

Saint Martin's, which lost 1-0 in overtime to Chico on Saturday, got a goal from Xan Nixon in the 69th minute to earn its first victory of the season. Nixon's goal came on a header off a corner kick by Brandon Scott.

The Saints, who outshot Monterey Bay 12-7, had three players named to the all-tournament team including midfielder Ruben Orozco and defenders Erik Orozco and James Schmid.

Brock Ogami, Benjamin Mangeac and Alex Mangeac scored Northwest Nazarene's goals in the 25th, 62nd and 86th minutes, respectively.

Ogami's goal came after a Colorado Christian defensive turnover. Benjamin Mangeac knocked the ball into the left side of the net after taking a centering pass from Alonso Avila to make it 2-0. Alex Mangeac's goal came when he converted his own rebound shot that went off the post.

NNU finished the contest with a 20-12 shot advantage. The Crusaders also had a 6-3 advantage in corner kicks.

August 30

MSUB's Charles Sets GNAC Goal Scoring Record

Four second half goals propelled Montana State Billings to a 4-0 victory over the University of Great Falls Sunday afternoon at Yellowjacket Field. 

MSUB forward Sam Charles scored one of the goals and assisted on another and became the GNAC's all-time leading goal scorer in the process.

In three seasons in the GNAC, Charles now has 41 goals and 93 points. He broke the old goal record of 40 set by Seattle University's Bobby McAlister between 2002 and 2005 and also tied McAlister's GNAC record for most points.

Including his freshman season in the Heartland Conference, Charles has 48 goals and 109 points.

“This was a hard-fought victory,” MSUB head coach Dan McNally said. “I was impressed with the determination and composure we displayed in the second half.  It was a good win against an in-state rival.”

Charles scored the record-breaking goal in the 77th minute on a header on the left side inside the 18 box following two nice passes from Jarred Weisen and Ryan Covey. 

“It is a great achievement for Sam to be the all-time leader in goals scored in the GNAC,” McNally added.  “He has consistently performed at a high level and his goals have been extremely important to our success.  There have been many great forwards in the GNAC and for Sam to have the most goals is a major accomplishment.”

The teams played a very physical game and an especially physical first half to the tune of 13 fouls in the opening stanza between both teams.  The Yellowjackets dominated much of the half in shots (7-2) and corner kicks (3-0), but were unable to get anything in the net. 

On the third corner kick of the second half, the Yellowjackets hit pay dirt as Jeremy DeHerrera was on the receiving end of a Covey corner scoring the game winner in the 55th minute. 

Just 10 minutes later, Jarred Weisen scored his second goal of the season on a clear out from just inside the box to the lower left post with assists from Chris Andre and Charles for a 2-0 lead.

Charles scored the historic third goal, followed three minutes later by sophomore Garion Holian's second goal of the season.  Weisen beat a diving UGF goalkeeper and flicked it to Holian for the score and a 4-0 lead.

For the game, MSUB (2-0) outshot the Argos 17-3 and also held an 8-0 lead in corner kicks. 

August 29

Seattle Pacific Wins Debut Against SFSU

Tyler Schultz scored in the 11th minute and Seattle Pacific added an insurance goal on a penalty kick in the final few moments in defeating San Francisco State 2-0 in its opening game of the 2009 season at Interbay Stadium Saturday.

In other contests, Sonoma State edged Western Washington 2-1 in overtime at Bellingham, Chico State beat Saint Martin's 1-0 in overtime at Chico and Regis of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference defeated Northwest Nazarene 6-2 in Denver, scoring three goals in each half.

Schultz took a through pass from Drew Williams and converted from the 12-yard line to give Seattle Pacific the early lead in its win. Alec Nelson converted a penalty kick at 86:17 to complete the scoring.

SPU outshot the Gators 16-5 in earning the victory. Kaleb Kuehn had one save in earning the shutout.

Forward Ben Langwith scored with 2:07 left in overtime in Sonoma State's win over Western Washington.

Langwith slotted home from 18 yards out after a through ball from Ebby Lombardi.  It capped a wild second half of overtime that saw the teams combine for six shots in less than eight minutes. 

Western's best chance in that time came in the 102nd minute on a breakaway by freshman forward Justin Moore that was started when midfielder Kellan Brown cleared a Sonoma State shot off the goal line. 

Seawolves goalkeeper Brook Johnson charged off his line to stop Moore and also saved a Moore shot from a tight angle barely a minute later.

Sonoma State, ranked No.17 in the NSCAA NCAA Division II preseason poll, took the lead in the fifth minute.  Brandon de la Cruz forced a turnover near the top of the penalty area and tapped a ball to Cam Vickers, who scored from 17 yards.

Western leveled the score less than two minutes into the second half, as midfielder Oscar Jimenez stepped in front of an attempted clearance and with his first touch blasted a shot in from 20 yards.

The Vikings had a 20-13 advantage in shots, including a 10-3 edge in the second half, but Johnson made 11 saves.  Christian Warman had four saves for Western.

Evan Armstrong's header off a throw-in by Ryan Nevarez in the 104th minute gave Chico State its overtime win over Saint Martin's.

The Saints outshot Chico 12-10 in the contest. Michael Keohane had five saves in recording the shutout for the Wildcats. Zac Lubin had three saves for the Saints.

Kyle Emge and Jordan Brandel each scored two goals and Nathan Kafer had a goal and two assists to key Regis' win over Northwest Nazarene.

NNU's goals were by Nate Hamm in the 30th minute off a direct kick from Renatto Britto and Alonso Avila at 59:55 on a penalty kick.

Regis outshot the Crusaders 20-9 and had a 8-3 corner kick advantage. Alexander Engemann had six saves for NNU.

August 28

MSUB's Charles Ties GNAC Career Goals Record

Sam Charles scored twice in the first half to tie the GNAC career record for goals and power Montana State Billings to a 6-0 win over Colorado Christian in their season opener at Yellowjacket Field in Billings.

The Yellowjackets, who outshot Colorado Christian 17-5, led 4-0 at halftime, as Charles scored in the third minute and then earned an assist on a goal by Garion Holian to make it 2-0 at 7:14.

Charles' penalty kick goal made it 3-0 at 23:20 and then a goal by Tyler Moriarty completed the first-half scoring at 42:51.

“We played really well in the first half and scored some excellent goals,” head coach Dan McNally said.  “In the second half we dominated possession and contained CCU very well.  In the end it was a comfortable win.”

Charles' two goals and an assist brought him to within three of tying the GNAC career record for points of 93 set by Seattle University's Bobby McAlister between 2002 and 2005. He equaled McAlister's record for most goals of 40. 

Counting one season in the Heartland Conference, Charles has 47 career goals and 106 career points.

Jeremy DeHerrera and Chris Andre each had two assists in the contest. Ross Carmichael and Jarred Weisen had the second-half goals.

August 27

Northwest Nazarene, Saint Martin's Lose in Openers

Colorado Mines scored four second half goals in route to a 5-1 win over Northwest Nazarene Thursday afternoon at the CSM Soccer Stadium.

In another season opener, Saint Martin's was blanked by San Francisco State 4-0 giving up all four goals in the second half.

Northwest Nazarene got on the board first on a free kick by Renatto Britto. Britto drove the ball just underneath the cross bar in the top right corner from 25 yards out giving NNU a 1-0 in the seventh minute of the match.

CSM tied the game in the 19th minute when Alex Nass was taken down in the box. Chike Sullivan converted on the penalty kick for the Orediggers.

Colorado Mines got two goals from Cale Haas and one each from Alex Nass and Jeff Wilson in the second half to earn the win. For the game, it outshot the Crusaders 19-8. Alexander Engemann had seven saves for NNU.

After an even first half in which San Francisco State had only a 5-4 shot advantage, Dylan Glass scored twice in the first nine minutes of the second half in SFSU's victory. The Gators ended up outshooting the Saints 16-9.