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Simon Fraser and Western Oregon both come into the final week of the regular season battling for the 2023 GNAC men's soccer championship. Related Links
Thursday, November 9, 2023 PORTLAND, Ore. – The finale of the 2023 GNAC men’s soccer season is looming, and the biggest prize is still up for grabs heading into the last two match days of the regular season. Simon Fraser is in pole position to claim what would be its eighth conference title in program history, sitting atop the GNAC standings with 2.44 points per game. Western Oregon is coming down the final stretch of a breakout sophomore season as a program, however, and is prepared to claim an inaugural title of its own should the Red Leafs leave any points on the table. Two weeks ago, weather officially canceled a pair of games, resulting in the conference standings being organized based on points earned divided by conference games played. Simon Fraser is set to play two matches this week, traveling to face Montana State Billings on Thursday before returning home to face Northwest Nazarene on Saturday. Western Oregon will play just one match on Saturday as it hits the road to take on Seattle Pacific. With that equation in mind, Simon Fraser needs just one win to clinch the GNAC championship and the conference’s automatic berth to the NCAA Championships. Meanwhile, Western Oregon will have to rely on the Yellowjackets and Nighthawks playing spoiler while taking a win or a draw against the Falcons on Saturday to secure the title for itself.
Niko Papakyriakopoulos, Simon Fraser There has been no better defense in the conference than Simon Fraser and there has been nobody more reliable on the backline than Niko Papakyriakopoulos. The senior defender from New Westminster, B.C., has started every match for the Red Leafs this season, logging over 1,200 minutes and helping SFU to a GNAC-leading 0.80 goals against average and six shutouts. Along with his defensive excellence, Papakyriakopoulos has been a major offensive contributor for the Red Leafs. He ranks second on the team and in the conference with seven assists, second only to teammate Devin O’Hea, and averages 0.47 helpers per game. He has picked up all of his assists against conference competition, including a career-high three against Saint Martin’s on Sept. 30.
NCAA Super Region Rankings The final NCAA Regional Rankings were released on Nov. 8 with Simon Fraser (10-3-2, 7-1-1 GNAC) remaining at No. 6 in the poll after splitting results on the road last week. Western Oregon slipped out of the top 12 teams after going 1-0-1 last week.
The 10th United Soccer Coaches Division II rankings of the season came out on Nov. 7 with Simon Fraser (10-3-2, 7-1-1 GNAC) slipping out of the top 25 after splitting last week with a 1-0 win over Northwest Nazarene before taking a 2-1 loss at Western Washington. The Red Leafs continued to receive votes in the poll for the third straight week as they head into their final two matches of the regular season.
Team Rankings (Top-30)
Assists Per Game: 16. WOU, 2.19; 22. SFU, 2.00 Assists Per Game: 13. Devin O’Hea, SFU, 0.53; 23. Niko Papakyriakopoulos, SFU, 0.47
Nov. 6 GNAC Men's Soccer Players of the Week Offensive: Raymundo Mendez, Seattle Pacific Mendez completed the conference’s fourth hat trick of the season, finding the back of the net three times in the Falcons’ 3-3 draw at Western Oregon last Saturday. Mendez was a constant menace in the attacking third, landing three of his five shots on target in 88 minutes played. Mendez spotted his team an early 2-0 advantage, scoring in the sixth minute and turning in the brace in the 17th minute. Mendez struck again just before halftime, completing his hat trick in the 43rd minute. The big week lifted Mendez into a tie for second in the GNAC with 11 goals scored this fall. Also Nominated: Xander Koenig, SMU; Hamish Ogden, SFU; Andres Labate, WOU; Eric Bunnell, WWU.
Defensive: Justyn Sandhu, Simon Fraser Simon Fraser was the lone GNAC side to record a shutout last week, and it came at the hands of goalkeeper Justyn Sandhu. The Red Leafs’ last line of defense came away with six saves in SFU’s 1-0 triumph over Northwest Nazarene, a match in which he was tested with a dozen shot attempts. Sandhu leads the GNAC in both goals-against average (0.80) and save percentage (.826). Also Nominated: Nick Mueller, SMU.
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