Tuesday, October 29, 2013

PORTLAND, Ore. – With just three days of regular season action left on the schedule, the final stretch of the 2013 conference slate has the potential to make or break the playoff hopes of the top three Great Northwest Athletic Conference teams.

Simon Fraser, moving up to No. 3 in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America national poll, remains in first place and is the top-ranked GNAC team in the NCAA West Region poll at No. 4. The regional poll will eventually determine the six-team field for the West Regional tournament, with no teams in the West earning automatic bids via conference tournaments. 

Checking in just one point behind SFU in the GNAC standings is Seattle Pacific, which was ranked No. 6 in the first West Regional poll. The Falcons have not lost since their first match of the season, keeping pace with SFU over the remarkable 14-game unbeaten streak.

Still in the hunt for postseason contention is Western Washington, which sits in third place in the conference table just four points back of SFU. While the Vikings were not ranked in the first West Region poll, wins in their final three games would likely push WWU into the top six.

The playoff picture should come into focus this week, with two of the biggest matches of the year. On Thursday, SPU puts its steak on the line in Bellingham, Wash., against a WWU team facing a must-win situation. A win for the Vikings would push the team into a tie for second in the GNAC standings, while a loss would more than likely crush their playoff hopes.

As the calendar crosses into November, SPU will cross the border into Burnaby, BC., and take on SFU on Saturday. The head-to-head matchup has the potential to determine the outright conference champion, and SPU is the only team to have beaten SFU this season in a 2-1 result on Oct. 3 that knocked SFU from the top spot in the NSCAA national rankings.

If WWU can defeat SPU and Saint Martin’s at home this week, the Vikings will have a chance to make the postseason and will face SFU in their final match of the season on Nov. 9 in Bellingham.

NCAA LEADERS

Simon Fraser displayed its dominance last week, and it has now won three consecutive matches by a score of 7-0. The scoring spree comes at a crucial time in the season, with the most important matches thus far yet to be played. 

SFU is the top team in the NCAA in scoring offense (4.0), total goals (60), points (164) and points per game (10.93). The Clan spreads its scoring equally throughout its lineup, as 17 total players have scored for SFU this season, led by Colin Jacques’ eight goals. Jacques also leads the team in assists with eight, and ranks 15th in the NCAA in assists and 26th in assists per game with .53.

Defensively, SPU is the top team in the GNAC, ranking No. 11 in the NCAA in goals-against average (.61) and 15th in shutout percentage (.500). Much of the credit for SPU’s defensive success goes to Red Lion Defensive Player of the Week Cody Lang, as the freshman goalkeeper leads the GNAC with seven shutouts, ranks 14th in the NCAA in goals-against average (.614) and 23rd in save percentage at (.833).

Western Washington’s defense has been the key to its success as well, as the team is right on SPU’s heels in many categories in the NCAA ranks. WWU checks in at No. 17 in goals-against average as a team (.76) and at No. 14 – two spots ahead of SPU – in save percentage (.844). The Vikings’ junior goalkeeper Keegan Rogers has recorded five shutouts this season, and ranks 19th in the NCAA in goals-against average (.744) and 14th in save percentage (.847).

TOP THREE WIN SIX

The standard was set high last week as first-place Simon Fraser (13-1-1, 9-1-1 GNAC) rolled to a pair of 7-0 victories over Montana State Billings and Northwest Nazarene. The Clan are playing arguably their best soccer of the season to date, outscoring opponents 21-0 over their last three games since scraping out a 2-2 draw over the University of Mary (1-10-2, 1-8-2) two weeks ago. Ryan Dhillon led a quartet of SFU players who recorded multiple goals last week, as the sophomore’s three goals earned him Red Lion Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Seattle Pacific (10-1-3, 8-0-3) proved it was up to the challenge, as it grabbed a pair of shutout wins of its own to keep pace with the conference leaders. SPU took care of Mary 2-0 on Thursday, and Lang kept South Dakota Mines (0-14-0, 0-11-0) quiet on Saturday long enough for an 85th-minute goal from Danny Olivas that would give the Falcons a 1-0 win. Lang earned Red Lion Defensive Player of the Week accolades for the first time this season.

Needing two wins to stay alive in the postseason hunt, Western Washington (9-3-3, 7-1-3) pulled out a pair of 1-0 results to stay in third place. Pat Cole scored on Thursday in the 41st minute against MSU Billings, and Rogers made five saves en route to the shutout. On Saturday, it was another miracle goal from Andrew Weishaar, this time in overtime as his shot into the right corner of the net in the 96th minute gave WWU the 1-0 win over Northwest Nazarene.

Saint Martin’s (5-8-2, 5-4-2) pulled off not only an improbable comeback but contributed to a GNAC record in doing so in a 4-4 overtime draw against Mary on Saturday. The Saints scored three goals in the final 11 minutes, and the match marked the first time in GNAC history that eight combined goals were scored in a single half of play.

Both Montana State Billings (3-9-3, 3-6-2) and Northwest Nazarene (3-6-5, 3-5-3) failed to score in a pair of losses each last week.