Falcons, Vikings Men Extend Unbeaten Runs With 1-1 Draw
October 6, 2003

BELLINGHAM, Wash. (Oct. 6) -- An early goal by Andy Willis was sufficient for Seattle Pacific University to earn a 1-1 draw with Western Washington in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's soccer game Monday night at a rainy and windswept Civic Stadium.

With the tie, the Falcons (1-0-1/4-4-2) extended their unbeaten string to six games going into Saturday afternoon's GNAC match at Seattle University. It was the second year in a row that the teams ended in a stalemate in Bellingham.

Both teams had winning streaks halted. SPU had won three in a row and Western (1-1-0/7-5-2) had won its last seven.

Willis (Fr., Gig Harbor, Wa.), a redshirt forward, opened the scoring in the 9th minute with his second goal of the season. Manfredo Rendon (Jr., Bellingham, Wa./Sehome) started the sequence with a cross which Michael Brkich (Jr., Vancouver, BC) flicked on for Willis and a close-range shot at the far post.

Seattle Pacific's Michael Morris nearly made it 2-0 midway through the first half but his 22-yard drive clipped the right post. In the second half, Nick Letts (So., Dublin, Ca.) forced a second-effort save from Western goalie Ben Dragavon.

Western's Ryan Hopp, the GNAC scoring leader, notched his sixth goal to tie the game at 1-1 just before halftime. It was the first goal allowed by SPU in four games.

The Vikings played shorthanded the final 25 minutes of regulation and overtime after Kory Pope was red-carded in the 84th minute.

Western finished with a 17-13 advantage in shots. Seattle Pacific keeper James Ward (Jr., Salem, Or.) stopped five shots while Dragavon made seven saves.

Scoring
1, SPU, Willis (Rendon, Brkich) 8:28;
2, WWU, Hopp (Macaya) 42:58.

Shots--SPU 13, WWU 17.

Saves--SPU (Ward) 5, WWU (Dragavon) 7.

Corner kicks--SPU 1, WWU 4.

Fouls--SPU 19, WWU 15.

Cautions--Rendon, SPU, 83:54; Schlesinger, WWU, 75:06. Lane, WWU, 57:53.

Ejections--Pope, WWU, 83:54.