Wednesday, October 8, 2014

PORTLAND, Ore. – At least one of the two longest win streaks in the GNAC will come to an end this week.

Seattle Pacific, which won the Red Lion Team of the Week and ranked sixth in this week’s NSCAA Top 25 poll, and Northwest Nazarene, ranked for the first time ever at No. 22, are undefeated in conference play. Each team is also boasting seven-game win streaks.

The last time these two teams didn’t check a notch in the win column was the second week of the season when Seattle Pacific tied Chico State and NNU lost to Cal State Monterey Bay. Those matches were on September 6.

A month later, the two collide on Saturday in Seattle for a chance to take the outright lead in the conference and hand the other team its first conference loss.

The two teams have to make it to Saturday first to have this opportunity, however.

Seattle Pacific has a tough matchup at home against third-place Montana State Billings while Northwest Nazarene travels to fourth-place Saint Martin’s on Thursday.

Northwest Nazarene turned in two great performances last week, scoring seven goals while allowing just one in two victories.

Seattle Pacific also showed why it’s tied for first in the conference as it beat Western Washington and Simon Fraser 3-1.

Montana State Billings also has an opportunity to make up some ground on the conference leaders this week as it plays Seattle Pacific on Thursday and Saint Martin’s on Saturday.

The third team in the conference holds the GNAC’s third-longest win streak at three matches. MSUB has also lost only once in its last six games.

Saint Martin’s, which leads the GNAC in conference saves with 29, will look to play the role of spoiler this week as it hosts NNU and MSUB in what could be two defining wins for the team this season.

Other Notes:

• With the win last Saturday, SPU has matched the best start in school history with the 1987 Falcons. The '87 Falcons also opened the season 8-0-1 before falling in its 10th game.
   
• Simon Fraser’s Jovan Blagojevic had his fifth multi-score game of his career on Thursday. Blagojevic now ranks ninth in the nation with nine total goals.
   
• Bryson Pavel of SPU won offensive GNAC Player of the Week with a goal and an assist in wins over Western Washington and Simon Fraser. Tom Lohmann of Montana State Billings was chosen defensive GNAC Player of the Week after stopping eight shots and recording a shutout in two Yellowjacket wins.