Aug. 29, 2003
Box Score
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Freshman Grant Lundberg scored two goals and senior Scott Bertram added two assists Friday as the Gonzaga University men's soccer team defeated the Air Force Academy 5-3 in the season opener for both teams.
The game was in the first round nightcap of the 2003 Parents Weekend Invitational at Cadet Soccer Stadium. Marquette edged Denver, 2-1, in the other first round matchup. The tournament fell about an hour behind schedule due to severe rain and thundershowers late in the afternoon.
The five goals by the Bulldogs, who scored just 18 goals in 16 matches a year ago, were the most since a 5-0 win over Western Washington University in 2000, and were the most goals scored against a Division I opponent since a 5-3 win over the University of San Francisco in 1999.
Lundberg, a product of Spokane's Lewis and Clark High, broke a 1-1 tie with his first collegiate goal at 36:04, converting a pass from junior Arni Ingi Pjetursson from 20 yards out on the left side to give Gonzaga a 2-1 halftime lead. His second goal at 80:20 gave Gonzaga the two-goal cushion and came off an assist from Mitch White, Lundberg finding the upper right post from the left side on a hard shot.
The other three goals came from a trio of Bulldogs veterans. Junior Mike Herzog got the first Bulldog goal of the season to even the match 1-1, getting an unassisted tally at 32:50 from about 25 yards as the ball took one bounce and went through keeper Mike Maynard's hands. Following Lundberg's first goal, Pjetursson got a put back off a save by Maynard at 60:13, Bertram getting credit for his first assist as his shot was saved by a diving Maynard only to go to the wide open Pjetursson for the easy goal.
Following a pair of goals by the Falcons, including a penalty shot at 63:34 after Colin Eames was taken down in the box after moving past two Gonzaga defenders, Scott Yuska broke the 3-3 deadlock with a goal at 79:50. The senior took a Bertram pass and scored from 10 yards out off the left corner. Lundberg's back breaker followed 30 seconds later.
The Falcons opened the scoring in the 26th minute when sophomore Colin Eames weaved through the Bulldog defense and let loose a shot from 18 yards that eluded Gonzaga goalie Vito Higgins, the freshman from Kailua, HI, who is in a battle with Spokane freshman Kris Wright for the keeper job.
The equalizing goal for the Falcons came at 65:30 when freshman Damon Wong got his first career goal in a melee in front of Higgins off a corner kick.
Higgins made eight saves for Gonzaga, while Maynard had four for the Falcons.
In the first game, Blair Kohlmeyer came off the bench to score both goals in Marquette's come-from-behind victory over Denver.
The tournament concludes on Sunday as Denver takes on Gonzaga at 11 a.m. PST followed by Air Force against Marquette at 1:30 p.m. PST. The games are flip-flopped from what was originally scheduled to allow Gonzaga to catch an early-evening flight home.
