SPU Falcons update: Women win in Lacey, Men draw in Bismarck

Late Penalty Kick Draws #9 SPU Men Even

BISMARCK, N.D. – Richie Evoy converted a unique 87th-minute penalty kick out of the hold from teammate Ian Adams, a tactic necessitated by strong winds that were constant Thursday during Seattle Pacific’s 1-1 double-overtime men’s soccer tie with the University of Mary at the Bismarck Community Bowl.

Steady winds of 25 to 30 miles-per-hour gave way to frequent gusts up to 40 mph throughout the 110-minute Great Northwest Athletic Conference contest.

The scenario looked more like the setup for a football extra point. SPU coach Mark Collings has never before seen a second offensive player participate on a penalty kick, but he prepared his team for the possibility that uncommon measures might be required due to the wind.

“We talked about it before the game, that on goal kicks and any set piece we had to have a holder so the ball wouldn’t roll.”

The Falcons (9-1-4) saw their league record move to 5-1-4. The four ties are the most they have had in a season since the 2007 squad went 7-6-7 in Coach Cliff McCrath’s final year.

The host Marauders (3-8-3) are now 2-6-2 in GNAC play. They got on the scoreboard first with a breakaway opportunity into the wind.

Alex Boyes sent a through ball to the left side of the box that Rory Pratt ran on to before driving a low, 15-yard shot into the right side of the goal at 59:16. Pratt, who beat SPU’s on-rushing goalkeeper Zach Johnson on the shot, now has six of U-Mary’s 16 goals.

Richie Envoy’s rare “held penalty kick” rescued a draw for the Falcons. (School file photo)

SPU senior Elliot Morton (Tacoma, Wash./Bellarmine Prep) netted what appeared to be the equalizer in the 77th minute, but his goal was disallowed by a delayed offside call.

Morton eventually did factor into the tying goal as he was pushed down inside the U-Mary box with 3:34 remaining in regulation to secure a penalty-kick opportunity.

With Adams (Shoreline, Wash./Shorecrest HS) kneeling while holding a finger on top of the ball, Evoy (Bend, Ore.) delivered a shot toward the right side. Marauders goalkeeper Michael Frenzel dived to his left and got a hand on the ball, but not enough to prevent it from nestling into the side-netting with Evoy’s third tally of the season.

Collings lets the players on the field decide who will take penalty kicks, believing that the most confident person will rise to the occasion. Evoy volunteered immediately Thursday despite missing a penalty kick off the right post in SPU’s last outing, a 0-0 home tie against Northwest Nazarene.

“I never even questioned it. To me the guy that wants the ball will step up and take it and his teammates have confidence in him as well,” said Collings. “There was no hesitation. As soon as the penalty was called I saw Richie step up to take it and he hit it well.”

Evoy has converted three penalty kicks in four attempts this season.

A senior goalkeeper, Johnson (Snohomish, Wash./Snohomish HS) stopped a season-high seven shots.

Frenzel made 12 saves for U-Mary, which was outshot 26-20. The Marauders attempted 15 first-half shots while the wind was at their backs, but tried only five more during the second half and the two, 10-minute overtimes.

“All things being considered, for the guys to come back and get a goal was good. I just thought we squandered quite a few opportunitiestonight,” Collings said.

“Conditions weren’t easy, but it was hard for both teams. As much as we tried to stay mentally strong through it, it wasn’t easy. But, we got a tying goal and we’re moving on.”

The Falcons play their final regular-season road game on Saturday at 5 p.m. Pacific Time against Sioux Falls. Their next home game is a 7 p.m. clash on Thursday, Oct. 25 at Interbay Stadium against Western Washington.

NCAA MEN’S SOCCER
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Community Bowl/Bismarck, N.D.

#9 Seattle Pacific 1, at U-Mary 1 (2ot)

Scoring – 1, UM, Rory Pratt (Alex Boyes), 59:16; 2, SPU, Richie Evoy (pk), 86:26.

Shots – SPU 26, UM 20.
Saves – SPU 7 (Zach Johnson), UM 12 (Michael Frenzel).
Corner kicks – SPU 11, UM 7.
Fouls – SPU 13, UM 19.
Offsides – SPU 2, UM 2.

Records:
Seattle Pacific 9-1-4, 5-1-4 GNAC
U-Mary 3-8-3, 2-6-2 GNAC

Next SPU Men’s Soccer Game:
(#9) Seattle Pacific at Sioux Falls
Saturday, Oct. 20, 5:00 p.m. PDT, Sioux Falls, S.D.

– www.spufalcons.com –

Kaylie Winston helped the Falcons top the Saints in Lacey. (School file photo)

Lindsay’s Two Goals Fuel Falcons Rally

LACEY, Wash. – Megan Lindsay scored two goals Thursday and Kaylie Winston distributed three assists for the Seattle Pacific women, whoextended their unbeaten streak to 10 games by rallying for a 4-2 Great Northwest Athletic Conference victory at SMU Soccer Field.

The Falcons (11-2-2) remain in second place with an 8-1-2 league ledger. They trail GNAC-leading Western Washington (10-1-0) by four points with three regular-season games remaining.

SPU registered its sixth straight win and improved its record to 8-0-2 during the last 10 games.

Lindsay (Spokane, Wash./Gonzaga Prep) ignited a spree of three quick SPU scores 19 minutes into the second half, erasing a 2-1 lead the Saints had achieved on an unassisted 40th-minute goal from Nicole Nedervelt. The Falcons senior forward raced to a cross from freshman Laura Moore and netted a diving, four-yard header at 59:40.

Less than five minutes later Moore (Kent, Wash./Kentwood HS) was on the scoring end of a play that put SPU ahead for good at 3-2 at the 64:08 mark. She received a pass from Winston and chipped it over Saints goalkeeper Ashley Engel for her second score of the season.

Winston (Pacso, Wash./Pasco HS) set up the Falcons final goal at 71:57 with a ball that eluded Engel, enabling Heather Young (Lacombe, Alberta) to find the open net from 14 yards out for her fourth goal of the year.

SPU tallied its final three goals during a span of 12-minutes, 17-seconds.

“It shows a lot of character,” Coach Chuck Sekyra said of his team’s ability to twice rally from a one-goal deficit.

“I’m very proud of that. This is just a resilient group who believes they are going to win and they are showing that. We don’t want to have to come-from-behind too often, but it’s really great to know that they don’t panic and they believe they are going to finish off at the end.”

The Saints (6-9-0) dropped to 4-7-0 in conference action. They opened the scoring at 24:49 on a 30-yard shot by Caley Wiseman before SPU equalized 10 minutes later. Lindsay raced to a chipped through pass from Winston and volleyed the ball into the goal from 10 yards out at 34:37.

Lindsay now leads the team with eight goals. She ranks third among all-time SPU scorers with 37 career goals and needs five more to reach 42 and tie Shannon Lovejoy (2002-05) in the No. 2 spot. Sarah Martinez (2004-07) is the school record-holder with 49 goals.

Thursday’s shot count was even at 14 apiece, but Engel was the busier goalkeeper. She made four saves against SPU, which put nine shots directly on goal.

Junior Natalie Harold (Vancouver, Wash./Heritage HS) stopped one shot for the Falcons, who faced just three on-goal attempts.

The SPU women play their final regular-season home game on Saturday against Western Oregon. Kick-off is 1 p.m. at Interbay Stadium.

Saturday marks the final home appearance for three seniors,Lindsay, Brittany Langdon and Kendall Thoreson. That trio will be recognized with a brief ceremony prior to the game.

“I’m excited about Senior Day. It’s our last home game and we want to take advantage of it,” said Sekyra. “Western Oregon is a good team and they’re right in the hunt. They’ll probably be in the conference tournament.”

The Falcons seek to complete an undefeated slate this season at Interbay Stadium where they compiled a 7-0-1 record to date.

SPU forged a 45-game unbeaten home streak from 2006-10, including three consecutive loss-less campaigns at Interbay in 2007 (15-0),2008 (11-0-2) and 2009 (11-0-1).

“There was a time when we were undefeated at home for three years in a row,” Sekyra said. “This is the group of girls that I’d like to see go an entire season and start a streak like that again where we are undefeated at home for a long time and don’t give away anything at home.”

NCAA WOMEN’S SOCCER
Thursday, October 18, 2012
SMU Soccer Field/Lacey, Wash.

Seattle Pacific 4, at Saint Martin’s 2

Scoring – 1, SMU, Caley Wiseman, 24:49; 2, SPU, Megan Lindsay (Kaylie Winston), 34:37; 3, SMU, Nicole Nedervelt, 39:04; 4, SPU, Lindsay (Laura Moore), 59:40; 5, SPU, Moore (Winston), 64:08; 6, SPU, Heather Young (Winston), 71:57.

Shots – SMU 14, SPU 14.
Saves – SPU 1 (Natalie Harold), SMU 5 (Ashley Engel).
Corner kicks – SMU 5, SPU 2.
Fouls – SMU 9, SPU 7.
Offsides – SMU 2, SPU 1.

Records:
Seattle Pacific 11-2-2, 8-1-2 GNAC
Saint Martin’s 6-9-0, 4-7-0 GNAC

Next Women’s Soccer Game:
Western Oregon at Seattle Pacific
Saturday, Oct. 20, 1:00 p.m. PDT, Interbay Stadium

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