Seattle Pacific University’s men’s soccer team defeated Simon Fraser University 2-1 on Thursday, Oct. 17, in Burnaby, British Columbia. SFU proved to be a difficult opponent, pulling ahead 1-0 fifteen minutes into the first half.
Fifteen minutes later SPU responded with a goal from senior midfielder Raymundo Mendez. His second goal of the match was the game-winner, putting them ahead 2-1. Mendez has seven goals in the 2024 season, leading the Great Northwest Athletic Conference’s individual scoring.
Coming off of a 4-1 loss against Western Oregon University, Head Coach Kevin Sakuda said the team came back with more discipline for the game against SFU.
“[It was] difficult for them to create much, [but] we did a good job winning individual battles,” Sakuda said. “In terms of understanding when to step out and when [to] give cover, I thought [we] stepped up really well.”
Scoring four goals in five minutes, the SPU men’s soccer defeated Saint Martin’s University 8-1 on Saturday, Oct. 19, on their home field at Interbay Stadium. SMU played a calm first half, not applying any pressure to SPU’s possession.
In the 22nd minute, junior midfielder Jackson Goode scored his first goal of the season and set SPU ahead 1-0. Sophomore forward JJ Diaz scored the team’s second goal less than two minutes later, and 32 seconds later freshman midfielder Lukas Shriner scored his first career goal, putting SPU up 3-0. During a four-player scramble in the box, Diaz scored his second goal giving SPU a 4-0 lead going into halftime.
Redshirt junior midfielder Brady Fendrich scored SPU’s next goal in the 48th minute. SMU scored a goal shortly after, showing more energy than in the first half. Junior midfielder Johan Gaytan brought the score to 6-1 in the 57th minute.
Saint Martin’s energy shift saw a more active defense and offense, but their attempts to score were unsuccessful. Fendrich and fifth-year defender Donovahn Allen scored the final goals of the game in the 59th and 81st minutes.
Diaz said the match showcased how hard the team’s been working since their loss to Western Oregon.
“We’ve been working hard, playing games, and haven’t been scoring too much, so it felt good to get two goals,” Diaz said. “We were just good at infiltrating, working hard and breaking them down, so honestly, our teamwork together, [SMU] couldn’t handle it.”
Fendrich shared a similar sentiment, happy the team had an all-around great game.
“I wouldn’t say the first half was much different from the second half, but I thought we took more control in the second half,” Fendrich said. “Everybody just gave it 100% throughout the whole 90 minutes. Nobody was giving up. I don’t think anybody had a bad game.”
SPU men’s soccer is tied for second with Northwest Nazarene University in the GNAC standings. Both teams have 3-1-1 conference records, but NNU’s 4-5-2 overall record puts them ahead of SPU’s 6-3-2.
Men’s soccer returns to play against Western Washington University on Thursday, Oct. 24, at 7 p.m. in Bellingham, Washington.
