Box Score NAMPA, Idaho – The Northwest Nazarene University Crusaders fell 4-1 in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference match against Seattle Pacific University this afternoon at the NNU Soccer Field.
 
An action-packed match from the kickoff, the Falcons (6-2-1, 2-1-1 GNAC) struck first in the 7^th-minute when Gabe Kellum flicked a ball past Crusader goalkeeper Jacob Hillyer after Jacob Bohl served into the box and it was deflected to Kellum.  It was Kellum's third goal of the season.
 
NNU (4-4-0, 1-2-0 GNAC) answered in the 15^th-minute as Jake Levine and Rafael Junqueira worked against the SPU defenders along the top of the box.  Junqueira played through the top and fed Levine for a goal that finished just inside the right post from 12 yards away.  It was Levine's second tally of the year.
 
The Falcons would take a 2-1 lead into the half as Alex Mejia headed home a rebound off a Kellum shot in the 20^th-minute would wrap up the first-half scoring.  It was Mejia's second of the year.
 
Out of the break the Falcons Samuel Agyei converted a header, again from the foot of Kellum, and in dense traffic in the goal mouth just past Hillyer from close range.
 
Trailing 3-1 and pushing hard, the Crusaders best opportunity to slice into the lead came in the 77^th-minute, but the penalty kick opportunity was saved by SPU keeper Kary Whitney as he dove to his left to deflect the offering.  Whitney finished with eight saves in the match.
 
The Falcons added an insurance goal in the 87^th-minute when a saved shot by Titus Grant was one-touched by Josh Velazquez to Andrew Ivaldi.  It was Ivaldi's first goal of the year.
 
Hillyer finished with four saves for the Crusaders, who out-shot SPU 11-8 and had a 7-2 advantage in corner kicks. 
 
The Crusaders will look to bounce back next weekend when they travel to Simon Fraser on Thursday and Western Washington on Saturday.  Both matches begin at 7:00 p.m. PT.