Nov. 14, 2002

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BULLDOGS AT PORTLAND: Gonzaga University's match with the University of Portland has been switched to Sunday at 1 p.m. on Merlo Field. The match was originally scheduled for Saturday afternoon. With the Pilots' women's team competing in the NCAA Tournament this weekend, Portland made the request and Gonzaga agreed. "There is not a competitive advantage or disadvantage for either team, so we saw no reason to not honor their request," Gonzaga athletic director Mike Roth said.

GONZAGA ELIMINATED: Gonzaga University got the help it needed last Friday, but the Bulldogs were unable to capitalize on Sunday in being eliminated from the West Coast Conference title chase with a 1-0 loss at Loyola Marymount University. The University of San Diego had defeated the University of San Francisco 1-0 on Friday, putting the Bulldogs in control of their title destiny. Gonzaga needed wins over LMU and at the University of Portland this weekend to claim their inaugural outright title. With the loss Gonzaga can get no more than 10 points in the WCC race while the regular-season champion will have at least 12 points. The deciding goal came at 86:37 when a header in traffic got past Gonzaga keeper Mike McCarthy. The senior from Kailua, Hawai'i saw the Lions take 30 shots, 13 of which were on goal as he finished with 12 saves. Gonzaga missed a couple of breakaways, one attempt stuffed by LMU keeper Adam Sthay and the other shot wide.

ANOTHER COMEBACK: For the second time in as many matches - as well as in the same city - Gonzaga University's men's soccer team came from a 2-0 halftime deficit to post a 4-2 non-conference victory over San Diego State University last Friday. Gonzaga had come from a 2-0 deficit a week earlier at the University of San Diego to post a 3-2 overtime victory. Taylor McCool scored his third goal in as many matches to close the gap to 2-1 early in the second half. Matt Prichard scored his first of two goals on a long shot from the right wing that deflected off a defender, the a minute later Prichard scored the match when his shot from 22 yards skipped past Barnes and settled in the lower left corner. Gonzaga put the game away when Tryggvi Bjornsson netted his first of the season with a long free kick that once again skipped on the grass and into the goal.

BULLDOGS CAN PLAY ROLE OF SPOILER: While Gonzaga University can't capture the West Coast Conference title, the Bulldogs can have a say in who does. If the Bulldogs beat the University of Portland, then the Pilots need a Loyola Marymount University loss and a University of San Francisco win to set up a 3-way tie with the tiebreaker going to the Pilots. A Portland win gives them no worse than a tie for first with LMU and UP gets the nod.

LIVESTATS ON THE INTERNET: Gonzaga University's match Sunday at the University of Portland can be monitored via Livestats on the Internet. The match will be linked off the Gonzaga web site at http://www.gozags.com. Look for the "LIVE COVERAGE" box located on the Gonzaga home page and click in the Livestats link to access up-to-the minute score and play-by-play.

SCOUTING THE PILOTS: The University of Portland is 11-5-1 overall, 4-1-0 in the West Coast Conference and in control of its title destiny. Nate Jaqua is the offensive leader of the Pilots with 9 goals and 6 assists for 24 points after posting 10 goals, 8 assists and 28 points a year ago. He's received offensive support from Sheldin Maistry (7-5-19), Alejandro Salazar (7-2-16) and Erick Cronkrite (6-4-16). Curtis Spiteri, who posted a 0.91 GAA last season, has again been solid between the posts with a 0.89 GAA.

BULLDOGS VS. PILOTS: Gonzaga University has won four of the last six meetings with the University of Portland. The Pilots took a 1-0 affair in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last year at the University of Washington. The Bulldogs captured last year's regular-season meeting in Spokane 1-0, and took a 3-2 overtime victory in their last trip to Portland in 2000. In addition to the 2000 and 2001 triumphs, Gonzaga also won two straight in 1997 and 1998. Portland won the first eight meetings in the series until the Bulldogs recorded a 2-1 upset in Spokane in 1993.

QUINN'S CAREER ENDS PREMATURELY: Gonzaga University senior midfielder Connor Quinn's career came to a premature end last Sunday at Loyola Marymount University when he picked up a red card in the 1-0 loss to the Lions. He will have to sit out Sunday's season finale at the University of Portland. Seniors making their final appearance in a Bulldogs uniform are keeper Mike McCarthy, defender/midfielder Matt Prichard and defender Tryggvi Bjornsson.

McCARTHY 12TH IN SAVES: Senior keeper Mike McCarthy is 12th in the country in saves/match. He is averaging a WCC-leading 6.21 saves/match.

THE THORARINSSON TALE OF THE TAPE: Gonzaga University head coach Einar Thorarinsson is 74-52-9 in his eighth season with the Bulldogs. His overall record is 193-104-22 that includes nine seasons across town at Whitworth College. His teams led the West Coast Conference in wins with a 14-4-0 record in 1997 and 12-4-2 mark in 1998, capturing WCC co-championships in each of those seasons. The Bulldogs were 9-5-2 in 2001, making their inaugural College Cup appearance.