One of the most successful programs in NCAA soccer, Seattle Pacific University's storied history of sponsoring men's intercollegiate soccer began in 1968 when then-athletic director Les Habegger responded to a groundswell of student interest by creating a varsity team. Arnie Aizstrauts, a local soccer icon of his day, was named coach. According to accounts in The Falcon, the original teams were comprised mainly of foreign students and sons of former missionaries.

The first official varsity match was a non-counter versus Charles Wright Academy, a high school preparatory in Tacoma, at Interbay Field on Oct. 9, 1968. Thandi Manzini scored the first two goals of that game. However, in the first outing versus intercollegiate opposition three days later, Mel Scott scored the first official goal, converting a penalty kick in a 4-1 loss to Seattle University.

In 1970, Seattle Pacific president David McKenna, seeking an accelerated rate of development for the program, sought out Cliff McCrath, a proven coach at Michigan sister school Spring Arbor. Although McCrath had no allocated scholarships early on, the team achieved its first winning record and qualified for postseason play, both in 1971.

By McCrath's third season, Seattle Pacific was forging a national reputation by virtue of a startling 1-1 tie with defending D-I champion St. Louis. The giant-killer reputation was enhanced by a 3-3 draw with San Francisco in '74, the four-overtime triumph over Alabama A&M for the first NCAA title in '78 and a 2-1 victory over Southern Illinois-Edwardsville (the eventual D-I champion) in '79. The most recent shocker came in 1998, with a 2-1 defeat of crosstown rival Washington, then ranked No. 2 in D-I.

Throughout its first 29 years, all the success came in spite of the fact that the Falcons had no home field of their own. However, in 1997 they moved into the new, soccer-dedicated Interbay Stadium near campus.

The Falcons, although affiliated with the Western Washington Soccer Conference, and later, the Northwest Collegiate Soccer Conference from 1968-93, had been an NCAA independent since their inception. They won three Pacific West Conference titles from 1998-00 and now compete in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

During McCrath's tenure, SPU has qualified for the Div. II playoffs 29 times and posted a winning record for 36 consecutive seasons –both Div. II records. The Falcons’ five national championships is second only to Southern Connecticut. Individually, several players have gone on to play for U.S. National Teams and over 30 have played professionally.