Thursday, September 27, 2018

A NEW NO. 1: Fresh off yet another perfect week to start the season, 8-0-0 Simon Fraser was voted as the No. 1 team in Tuesday's United Soccer Coaches Division II Poll.

The Clan have posted a pair of road victories against top-20 opponents (Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State LA) and started GNAC play last week with a pair of blowout victories, topping Montana State Billings and Saint Martin's by a combined score of 10-1. Clint Schneider's team ranks third in Division II in goals (31) and total points (87) while coming in second in scoring offense (3.88 goals per game).   

SEPTEMBER ENDS: The first month of the season winds to a close this week with six matches.

The slate is headlined by No. 1 Simon Fraser hosting second-place Concordia on Thursday night. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on the top of Burnaby Mountain at Terry Fox Field.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

OFFENSE
Rafael Junqueira(Northwest Nazarene, F, 6-1, Junior, Sao Paolo, Brazil)

Junqueira scored both goals as the Nighthawks stunned Seattle Pacific, 2-0, in the GNAC opener for both teams. He scored the game-winner off an assist by Alex Mitrovic in the 45th minute and added a late breakaway off of Jake Levine’s assist in the 83rd minute.

Also Nominated: Kieran McMinn (Concordia), Mamadi Camara (Simon Fraser), Drew Farnsworth (Western Washington).

DEFENSE
Michael North(Simon Fraser, D, 5-8, Senior, Coquitlam, B.C.)

North anchored a Simon Fraser defense that allowed just three shots on goal in two matches as the Clan improved to 8-0-0 on the season. North played all 90 minutes as SFU allowed Montana State Billings just one shot on goal in a 4-0 shutout on Thursday. He then had an assist while limiting Saint Martin’s to two shots on goal in a 6-1 victory on Saturday.

Also Nominated: Grant Alcorn (Concordia).

AROUND THE GNAC

CONCORDIA
• Concordia went 1-0 in its only match of the opening week of GNAC play.
• The Cavaliers welcomed Seattle Pacific to Portland and sent them home with a 2-1 defeat, overcoming an early one-goal deficit before getting a golden goal in overtime off the foot of midfielder Liam Kiger.  
• Goalkeeper Grant Alcorn picked up three more saves in the contest, bringing his total to 22 for the season. That mark has him in a tie for third in the GNAC in that category.
• Concordia returns to the pitch for a pair of road matches this week. The team will face Simon Fraser in Burnaby on Thursday night before traveling back across the border to face Western Washington on Saturday. 

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings split its two matches a week ago with the lone defeat coming against No.1-to-be Simon Fraser.
• The victory came in thrilling fashion on the road against Western Washington. After being even at 1-1 for the majority of the second half, Guillaume Kremer found freshman forward Austin Shafer for a game-winning header in the match’s 84th minute.
• As we near the completion of the first month of the season, the Yellowjackets seem to be heating up at the right time. The club has recorded positive results in five of its last six matches, the lone loss coming on the road against the Clan.
• Montana State Billings returns home this week for a pair of matches, the start of five straight home contests for the team. The Yellowjackets will host Seattle Pacific on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene got in the win column and now finds itself in a tie for second in the conference after winning its lone match of the week.
• The Nighthawks looked impressive from the outset in their conference opener, using a pair of goals from GNAC Offensive Player of the Week Rafael Junqueira to knock off Seattle Pacific for a shutout victory.
• The showdown with the Falcons was the team’s lone reprieve in a stretch that featured six of seven matches away from the friendly confines of NNU Field.
• Northwest Nazarene will wrap up that stretch this week, facing Saint Martin’s in Lacey on Thursday before a trip east to play Montana State Billings.

SAINT MARTIN'S
• Saint Martin’s finished its fourth week of play with a 1-1 record.
• The lone victory came on Thursday in Lacey, where the Saints surprised Western Washington for a 3-1 victory. Three different players netted goals in that one, while goalkeeper Griffin Small logged all 90 minutes in goal and picked up six saves.
• Small, the GNAC Defensive Player of the Week in week one, has put up impressive numbers week in and week out. The senior’s 39 saves leads the GNAC and has him ranked inside the top-20 nationally.
• The Saints will stay at home this week for a pair of matches to end the month of September. First up is a date with Northwest Nazarene on Thursday afternoon, while Seattle Pacific will come to town on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific was unable to pick up a positive result in its first week of league play, falling in a pair of tight matches away from home.
• The closest defeat came in a 2-1 loss at Concordia on Saturday. Forward Alden Massey put the Falcons in front with a 24th minute goal, but his defense was unable to hold the lead in what would eventually be an overtime loss.
• Seattle Pacific’s challenging stretch continues with another pair of road matches this weekend. The club will face Montana State Billings on Thursday afternoon before a meeting with Saint Martin’s in Lacey on Saturday. 

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser sits on top of the table and is now ranked No. 1 nationally after finishing week four with another perfect 2-0 record. The team also tops the United Soccer Coaches West Region rankings and now sits at 8-0-0 on the season.
• The beginning of GNAC play didn’t make much difference for the Clan as the team outscored its two opponents 10-1 on opening weekend.
• The team has only surrendered three goals in eight matches this season. Goalkeeper Luciano Trasolini has recorded all 720 minutes in goal and has made 16 saves. His five shutouts puts him inside the top-10 nationally in that category.
• Offensively, forward Matteo Polisi has led the way for SFU. The sophomore tops the team in both goals (9) and points (26).  
• Simon Fraser will look to stay hot in the second week of GNAC action. Only one match is on tap for the Division II leaders, a Thursday evening showdown with Concordia at Terry Fox Field.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington dropped its first two matches in conference play last week.
• Both losses were close defeats, with the latter coming by just one goal against Montana State Billings. The Vikings were able to pull even at 1-1 on a 52nd minute strike by midfielder Georg Cholewa, but a goal in the match’s 84th minute would doom WWU.
• Cholewa’s 11 points in 2018 leads the team through eight matches. Forwards Drew Farnsworth and Stephen Jinneman are in second place, totaling five points on two goals and one assist.
• Cholewa is also making a name for himself on the national statistic lists. The sophomore’s two game-winning goals puts him in a tie for 26th in all of Division II.
• Western Washington will return to the pitch for a single match this week, playing host to Concordia on Saturday at 7 p.m. It will mark the team’s final match at Harrington Field before embarking on a four-match road trip to open the month of October.