The Falcons Online -- Seattle Pacific University Athletics

'03 Might Be The Year Of The Falcons
8 Starters Due Back; McCrath On Verge Of No. 1
November 27, 2002

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Footnotes

Next season's schedule is quickly taking shape, with tentative plans for the Falcons to begin the season in Southern California, with tournaments at Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State Bakersfield. Among the first home games would be San Francisco State and Sonoma State, the regional champion now bound for the Final Four. A mid-October trip to Phoenix for a tournament is also in the works. The final weeks of the season would feature games with Seattle University on consecutive Saturdays with Western Washington sandwiched in between. UC Davis is the final home opponent...Only one record was achieved, with the 12 first-half corner kicks Nov. 1 vs. Seattle U. tying a mark. Smith's three assists vs. Simon Fraser tied for No. 6 all-time and both Janzen and Grant Falco tied for No. 11 in career game-winning goals (8)...The 1-0 loss to Western Washington marked the only time SPU was held scoreless and the only home loss...SPU and Western dealt Dominguez Hills, the top-ranked team in the region, two of its three losses. The Toros fell to Sonoma State in the first round of the playoffs...The Falcons surpassed last season's goal total by 12 (53)...In the last four games Seattle Pacific had a total of 50 corners to one for the opponents...SPU was the faraway GNAC leader in corners (139) and finished No. 2 in goals per game and goals-against average...Letts led the conference in assists per game (0.46) and Brkich was the total assists (8) leader. Yerkes finished No. 3 in total points and tied for No. 2 in goals...Four of the top eight GNAC scorers were Falcons...Ward was No. 2 in shutouts (5) and No. 3 in GAA (1.31)...Marcus Hahnemann, the former three-time All-America keeper, is enjoying a marvelous season for Reading of the English first division. Hahnemann has posted five straight shutouts and Reading has risen to fourth in the standings.

Seriously, wait 'til next year. Often times, the run toward a regional or national championship can be started a couple years beforehand. And several factors point toward a very special men's soccer season for Seattle Pacific University in 2003. The Falcons will bring back eight starters from the team which went 11-6-2 and defeated the Far West's top-ranked team.

Bean counters. The first few weeks of next fall also promise a neck-and-neck, long-distance contest between two close friends from the coaching fraternity. Cliff McCrath and Joe Bean, coach of Wheaton College (McCrath's alma mater), are both within four wins of becoming college soccer's all-time career leader in victories. McCrath and Bean finished this season with 541. Retired San Francisco coach Steve Negoesco is the current leader at 544. McCrath has guided 33 Falcon teams to 456 wins and 32 consecutive winning seasons since 1970. The program has qualified for postseason play 28 times and was the NCAA champion in 1978, '83, '85, '86 and '93.

Top gun to return. Among the returnees next season will be Jeremy Yerkes (So., Gresham, Or./Gresham-Tacoma CC), the Falcons' top scorer, Great Northwest Athletic Conference unanimous first team selection and newcomer of the year. Yerkes scored nine goals and accumulated 24 points as an attacking midfielder. He was one of six all-conference picks. Joining Yerkes from SPU on the first team were midfielder Brent Egbert (Jr., Bellingham, Wa./Sehome) and defender Ross Vaillancourt (Fr., Bedford, NH). Making second team all-GNAC were defender Mike Pardini (Sr., Pasco, Wa.), midfielder Michael Brkich (So., Vancouver, B.C.) and forwards Grant Falco (Sr., Veradale, Wa./University) and Nick Letts (Fr., Dublin, Ca./Redwood Christian). Pardini and Falco were repeat selections. Forward David Smith (So., Corvallis, Or.) received honorable mention. All-region selections will be made next month.

Improving all the time. Seattle Pacific improved its record this season and did so despite regularly starting six freshmen and sophomores. The Falcons scored 12 more goals and went 7-3-1 after a rough start on the road. One of the area's remaining to be addressed is how SPU can capitalize on opportunities. It had 149 more shots and 103 more corner kicks but had difficulty finishing chances. Among the solutions could be Letts, who came on like gangbusters in the final month, with four goals and five assists in the last eight games. Another key could be the availability of forward Andy Willis (Fr., Gig Harbor, Wa.), the top recruit who was sidelined the entire season by a foot injury suffered before his signing. Recruits may begin signing national letters of intent Feb. 5 and spring training is tentatively scheduled to begin shortly thereafter.

What a way to go. The four seniors got a pleasant send-off in their final game as the Falcons dispensed with Humboldt State, 5-0, Nov. 9. Cory Janzen (Sr., Langley, B.C./Lynden Christian), the last remaining member of the 1998 Final Four squad, scored twice, including the game-winner. Janzen also made his 80th career start in 81 games. Pardini earned his 15th career assist and Adrian Cravalho (Sr., Mililani, Hi./Kamehameha) got the shutout. Falco peppered the Lumberjacks with a team-high four shots.

Setting the stage. The left side of the lineup, where Pardini and Janzen had been fixtures, will get the most attention in offseason recruiting. Otherwise, the defense of goalie James Ward (So., Salem, Or./Sprague), David Selby (So., Aloha, Or./Southridge), Matt Laughlin (Jr., Selah, Wa.) and Vaillancourt and the midfield of Egbert, Brkich and Yerkes return intact. Letts, Smith, Willis and Tom Funk (Fr., Orland Park, Il./Sandburg) will vie for the positions up front.

Missing links. For the latest and best information on Seattle Pacific University athletics, stay where you're at -- on The Falcons Online. For updated standings and statistics, see the Great Northwest Athletic Conference web site.