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Visiting hours nearly over. Two weeks after departing campus, the Seattle Pacific University men’s soccer team will return, only to play one more game on the road. The 22nd-ranked Falcons (4-2-0) complete the California portion of their sojourn Tuesday (Sept. 12) at Cal State Monterey Bay (0-3-0). Then comes the Great Northwest Athletic Conference opener Saturday night (Sept. 16) at Western Washington (0-6-0). A three-game home stand begins Sept. 22 vs. Grand Canyon.

Two steps forward, one back. Nearly one-third of the way through the season, SPU resembles a rookie driver, lurching forward only to slam on the brakes. Fortunately, the Falcons continue to proceed forward, generally. Following their first loss, they responded with a pair of wins, and that could happen again on the Monterey Peninsula. Seattle Pacific is coming off a 1-0 victory at Cal State Stanislaus after a midweek, 3-1 setback at San Francisco State. In its last 46 games, SPU has not lost two consecutive games.

Newcomers figure. With nine starters returning, expectations were lofty. Yet it has been the newcomers who are growing in prominence. Midfielder Justin Abel (Jr., Snohomish, Wa./Snohomish), the transfer from St. John’s, struck for his second goal at San Francisco State, and furnishing the game-winner vs. Stanislaus was Alec Nelson (Fr., Lynnwood, Wa./Meadowdale). Another freshman, Josh Burnside (Fr., Black Diamond, Wa./Kennedy), took over at starting outside back while Brandon Crutchfield (Fr., Snohomish, Wa.), who has yet to start, is the team’s co-leader in assists with two.

500 comes closer. Coach Cliff McCrath is now only four wins away from reaching 500 at Seattle Pacific. In fact, all but one of the Falcons’ collegiate victories have come with McCrath at the helm. The program counts 497 wins since its inception in 1968, although the record was just 1-21-4 in the first three seasons. McCrath’s record at SPU is 496-179-80 since 1970, and that includes five NCAA Division II championships. Altogether, McCrath has 581 wins (in 47-plus years) to lead Div. II and rank No. 2 behind Joe Bean of Div. III Wheaton.

Contract, expand. If you blink, you might miss the GNAC men’s soccer season. Reduced to three teams by the departure of Humboldt State, there will be a total of six games played. Fear not, for the league is due to expand to an all-time high of six teams in 2007. Montana State Billings, Saint Martin’s and Northwest Nazarene will join the fray. Seattle Pacific is seeking its first conference title since winning the Pacific West in 2000. Seattle U. has claimed four of the last five.

Keep it clean. Goalkeeper Kellen Rosten (Jr., Colorado Springs, Co./Doherty) made three saves vs. Stanislaus to earn his 17th career shutout, leaving him two short of a tie for No. 4 all-time. It was the team and Rosten’s fourth clean sheet so far this season and the eighth in the last 11 games, dating back to last year. He leads the GNAC with a 08.3 goals-against average. The back four is largely an experienced group, with sweeper Matt Kemper (Jr., Colorado Springs, Co./Palmer), stopper Drew Macha (Jr., Eugene, Or./Marist) and right back David Reuhl (Sr., Bothell, Wa./Bothell-BCC) all returnees. Colin Kosco (So., Edmonds, Wa./Meadowdale) who missed two games due to injury after starting the first three, made the all-conference team as a freshman.

Throw-ins. Former Falcon keeper Marcus Hahnemann picked up his first career shutout in the English Premier League when his Reading club beat Manchester City 1-0 Monday. Hahnemann made nine saves as the Royals notched their second win in four games. He is the only three-time All-American for SPU and won the 1993 NCAA title in his final season...Midfielder Michael Morris (Sr., Bothell, Wa./Blanchet) is the runaway team leader in shots with 19. Morris has two goals and had one attempt cleared off the line by a Stanislaus defender last week... Jeff Hallenbeck (Jr., Redmond, Wa./Inglemoor) got the assist on Nelson’s goal at Turlock...The loss to San Francisco State was the first in a 12-game series that dated back to 1977...Saturday’s game will be played at the Whatcom Community College complex. It had originally been scheduled for Civic Stadium but delays in a renovation forced the move...The team’s 10 goals have been scored by eight different players.

Coaching Staff. Chuck Sekyra was voted coach of the year for the second consecutive time in the GNAC after taking the Falcons to a league title, NCAA playoff berth and a 19-1-2 record in his second season. Seykra, an assistant at Washington for three seasons, has close ties to the Puget Sound soccer community and to Seattle Pacific in particular. He is a graduate of SPU, played on two NCAA championship teams and was assistant men¹s coach from 1998-99. Sekyra was a starter on the Œ86 squad which became the first in Division II history to win back-to-back national crowns. He is head coach of the Washington State girls ODP Under-16 team and a Region IV ODP staff coach. Goalkeeper coach Kevin Blokker returns for his third year on the staff after previously coaching at San Francisco (his alma mater), Wyoming, Fresno State and Kansas. Chalise Baysa, Oregon¹s all-time scoring leader, is in her second season on the staff. She now plays for the W-League Seattle Sounders.

Tickets, please. Ticket prices for all SPU regular season home games are $5 for general admission, with students and senior citizens $3. Group and team rates are available by phoning (206) 281-2085 in advance.

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.