Homeward bound. A homeward bound Seattle Pacific University men's soccer squad aims to salvage a long and so far unrewarding road trip when it begins Great Northwest Athletic Conference play this week. The Falcons (0-4-0), off to their worst start in 34 years, visit Humboldt State (0-1-0/2-3-0) Thursday afternoon (Sept. 11) to wrap-up a five-game, 18-day trip through California. Next week they cross into Canada for a Sept. 17 date with Simon Fraser. The home opener is Sept. 19 against Montana State Billings.

Never, ever before. What promised to be a celebratory first month of the season for Coach Cliff McCrath has instead become a gauntlet. For the first time in McCrath's 34 years at the school, Seattle Pacific has lost its first four games. That has only occurred once before in the program's existence: 1969 under Arnie Aizstrauts (incidentally, that side tied its fifth game). Originally, September appeared to be a final approach for McCrath becoming college soccer's all-time leader in coaching victories. He continues to trail retired San Francisco coach Steve Negoesco by three wins (544-541), but the slow start has enabled Joe Bean of Wheaton to take over the No. 2 spot with 543. Bean, with two games this week, could tie and surpass Negoesco's mark as early as Friday.

Oh, so close. It's not as if SPU is stinking up the place. After all, each of the first three losses was to a team currently ranked among the top 18 in NCAA Division II. The combined record of the first four opponents is 11-1-0 and three of the losses were by one goal, the other by two. McCrath said his team played one of "it's better games in 4-5 years" in a 1-0, double-overtime setback at Cal State Bakersfield. The four-game losing streak is the longest in McCrath's tenure. The school record is six straight setbacks from 1969-70.

A gusher is sure to follow. Defensively, the team seemed to pull together, allowing only two goals in the last two games. Offense is another matter. Going into Thursday's game, the Falcons have fired blanks for 242 consecutive minutes and the attack has been silenced in three of four outings. Comparatively, Seattle Pacific was blanked only once last season. Historically, McCrath's teams have bounced back from such droughts in a big way; a year ago, they beat Humboldt State 5-0 after being shut-out the previous game.

Some rays of light. The Falcons have gotten themselves out of jams before. Just three years ago they rebounded from a 2-4 start to make the playoffs. In '98 they made the Final Four after a midseason three-game losing streak. Individually, some players are lifting their game. Goalie James Ward (Jr., Salem, Or./Sprague) was selected as GNAC player of the week for his seven-save performance at Bakersfield. Making the all-tournament team were forward David Smith (So., Corvallis, Or.) and midfielder Michael Brkich (Jr., Vancouver, B.C.).

A fresh start. Conference play offers a fresh start for Seattle Pacific. This year's GNAC format is a double round-robin of six games against Humboldt, Western Washington and Seattle University. The Falcons were picked to finish third behind the latter two teams. However, they could get a rolling start, having averaged over five goals per game in their last four victories over Humboldt.

Footnotes. Ward was pressed into action up front for the final 12 minutes versus San Bernardino. He got off one shot...With the California Collegiate Athletic Association teams now owning a stranglehold on the top six positions in the regional rankings, the Falcons' five remaining games against CCAA teams are crucial to their hopes of remaining in postseason contention. Defending NCAA champion Sonoma State, currently No. 4 in the Far West, visits Interbay Sept. 27...After being out-shot by Bakersfield 18-5 in the second half and overtime, SPU finished strong against San Bernardino, taking 11 of its 15 shots and earning all eight corner kicks in the second period.

Coaching Staff. Cliff McCrath is Division II leader in career coaching victories. He needs four to surpass San Francisco's retired Steve Negoesco (543) as the all-time collegiate (all divisions) leader. McCrath has led SPU to a record 27 NCAA playoff appearances, including berths in 17 of the last 19 years, and five national titles (1978, '83, '85, '86 and '93). He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame and is a past national coach of the year. His staff includes former Falcons Mark Metzger ('78 championship team), Chuck Granade ('93 NCAA winners) and Mark Collings ('98 Final Four).

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.