The second time around. A couple of rivals who extended the Seattle Pacific University men’s soccer team to overtime thrillers earlier this season will pull into Interbay Stadium this week. The Falcons’ (2-1-1/7-6-2) six-game home win streak will be at stake Wednesday night (Oct. 29) when Simon Fraser (7-3-2) arrives from Canada. The age-old intracity derby with Seattle University (4-0-0/9-5-0) gets a jolt of caffeine Saturday night (Nov. 1) in the inaugural Caffé D’arte Coffee Cup. Next week the regular season concludes with home dates against Western Washington and UC Davis.

Not just a cup o’ joe. The Caffé D’arte Coffee Cup celebrates the SPU-Seattle U. crosstown rivalry which dates back to the Falcons’ first intercollegiate game on Oct. 12, 1968. The Cup is the brainchild of, among others, Jeff Stock and Mark Schuur. Boyhood teammates, Stock and Schuur starred for the Seattle Sounders and University of Washington, respectively, in the 1980s. Now they are among the owners of Caffé D’arte, a premium espresso roaster based in South Seattle with a 20-year history. Says Schuur: “In the years to come, we hope the Caffé D’arte Coffee Cup will make the Apple Cup look small.” To get in the Coffee Cup spirit, Caffé will feature a latte cart at the game. The company will raffle off 20 one-pound bags of its Caffé D’arte Meaning of Life coffee at halftime and donate $1000 to each team for athletic scholarships. The winning team will receive a giant coffee cup-shaped trophy from Caffé D’arte to acknowledge their accomplishment.

All close games. There but for a goal they go. It wouldn’t be a huge stretch for this SPU team, which has won three of its last four, to have played beyond next week, to have reached the NCAA Division II tournament. Twelve of the 15 games (including five losses) have been ties or one-goal decisions. Five have gone to overtime. Both of this week’s foes are contending for postseason berths, and yet Seattle Pacific has competed on level terms with each, tying Simon Fraser 2-2 and taking a lead into the final two minutes at Seattle U. before falling, 3-2. The Clan is ranked No. 21 among NAIA teams while the Redhawks are stalking the third and final Far West regional berth.

Breakout ahead? Contributing factors to the abundance of one-goal games are a relatively steady SPU defense and, on the down side, an anemic offense. The latter may have gotten a wake-up call. Last week’s 3-2 win over Humboldt State featured a breakout performance by Jeremy Yerkes (Jr.. Gresham, Or./Gresham). Coming off the bench 10 minutes into the second half, Yerkes used his head for a hat trick. He scored his third goal, the game-winner, with just over 10 minutes remaining and now leads the team with six goals and 15 points. The Falcons have scored six goals in their last two home games.

Silver anniversary homecoming. Saturday also serves as the reunion of all past SPU teams and, in particular, the 1978 NCAA championship team. It’s been 25 years since that squad won the first of the school’s five national titles over 15 years, and it did so in shocking fashion. Alabama A&M, the other finalist, featured an experienced international lineup and had averaged more than four goals per game in the first three rounds of the playoffs. Seattle Pacific’s defense held, however. Freshman keeper Sergio Soriano made eight saves and sweeper Ric Miller helped thwart a number of opposing attacks. Finally, after a scoreless regulation and two overtime periods, the Falcons scored a golden goal in the 128th minute. Freshman Bruce Raney headed the ball in for the 1-0 triumph and effectively put Northwest collegiate soccer on the national map.

Net change. While the defense didn’t necessarily need a fix, Coach Cliff McCrath nevertheless chose to alter it last week. James Ward (Jr., Salem, Or./Sprague), the leading goalkeeper in the GNAC, was pulled from the net and put in midfield. Michael Lockwood (Fr., Wilsonville, Or./Canby) not only got the start in goal against Humboldt but will remain there at least one more game after Ward received a one-game suspension for drawing a red card. Lockwood’s previous six appearances had been in relief of Ward, when he was pushed upfield in the second half of games.

Footnotes. Andy Willis (Fr., Gig Harbor, Wa.) assisted one the first and third goals vs. Humboldt and is now second on the team in total points with 11, including nine in the last six games...Last week’s game was the first this season in which the Falcons have scored three goals in one period...Yerkes got the first hat trick since Joel Malick scored four times in a 2000 win over Montana State Billings... Ward’s three shots were the most by any starter last week...Yerkes moved up to No. 4 in GNAC total points and No. 5 in goals. Ward’s league-leading GAA is 1.13...SPU has won its last six home games by a combined score of 16-4...Seattle Pacific needs two more wins to ensure a winning record for the 33rd straight year, a Division II record.

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.