BURNABY, B.C. (Sept. 18) ­ For the third consecutive game, the Seattle Pacific University men¹s soccer team was shown a red card. Only this time it was the coach who got the boot.

Cliff McCrath was ejected late in the first half of the Falcons¹ 5-1 loss to Simon Fraser, setting off a chain of events which resulted in a 40-minute delay at Swangard Stadium Wednesday night.

Kevin Crouch and Andrew Corazza each scored two goals as the Clan (6-1-0) handed SPU (4-3-0) its worst defeat in two years.

With his team trailing 2-0 and midfielder Michael Brkich issued a yellow card at 37:15, McCrath left the coaches¹ box and entered the field to protest the failure to stop the scoreboard clock, which, under NCAA rules, should have been stopped on the caution.

"It was clear to me at that point that the game was not being played under NCAA rules," said McCrath, who noted that, among other things, the clock also ran after goals were scored.

McCrath has been the secretary-editor of the NCAA rules committee for 28 years.

Instead, the referee issued a red card to McCrath and the clock kept running. McCrath then pulled his team from the field and did not let them return until the officials, who at one point went to their dressing room, agreed to play the remainder of the game by NCAA rules and reset the clock. McCrath then spent the remainder of the game watching from the top of the bleachers.

Immediately after play finally resumed, the Falcons¹ Cory Janzen scored on a free kick, cutting the lead to 2-1 at halftime. However, Corazza scored 1:44 into the second half and added another in the 71st minute.

Although McCrath said he will not protest the game, he will appeal the suspension which comes as a result of the ejection. Since it is a nonconference game, athletic directors of Simon Fraser and SPU will determine the outcome of that appeal.

Seattle Pacific, which had one player ejected from each of its previous two games, resumes play next Wednesday at Western Washington. If the red card is upheld, McCrath would miss that game. He is 10 wins away from becoming the career leader in coaching victories.

Scoring
1, SFU, Crouch (Cairns, Dhami) 8:32;
2, SFU, Crouch (Beatty) 19:34;
3, SPU, Janzen (unassisted) 37:18;
4, SFU, Corazza (unassisted) 46:44;
5, SFU, Corazza (Crouch) 70:52;
6, SFU, Marello (Todd, Feragine) 80:12.

Shots-SPU 9, SFU 18.

Saves-SPU (Ward 6/Cravalho 0) 6, SFU (Hall) 1.

Corner kicks-SPU 4, SFU 2.

Fouls-SPU 10, SFU 8.

Offside-SPU 4, SFU 3.

Cautions-Brkich, SPU, 37:15; G. Falco, SPU, 66:33.

Ejections-McCrath, SPU Coach, 37:15.