Gonzaga University
Santa Clara
Men's Soccer Edged 1-0
10/10/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 10, 2004
SPOKANE, Wash. - Gonzaga University keeper Sean Sosnovec kept Santa Clara University at bay for most of Sunday afternoon, but Hector Guzman found the net at 56:33 to lead the fourth-ranked Broncos to a 1-0 West Coast Conference men's soccer victory at Martin Field.
The loss was the 11th straight in WCC play over the last three years for the Bulldogs (4-7-0, 0-3-0), while the Broncos (11-1-0, 4-0-0) won their fourth straight match since suffering their only loss of the season to then-No. 4 ranked University of California.
The lone goal was a hard shot from 18-yards straightway that sailed to the upper right corner of the net and over the out-stretched hands of Sosnovec.
But had it not been for the play of Sosnovec, the outcome would have been a lot worse. The Broncos had 16 shots, 10 were on goal and Sosnovec had no more than six tough saves among his nine.
Sosnovec had three solid saves in the scoreless opening half. Jason Pan's header off a free kick at 40:31 was knocked down by Sosnovec, and Keith DeVey had the rebound ticketed for the left post only to have Sosnovec get there in time to prevent the goal and knock the shot out of bounds. Less than two minutes later DeVey had a point-blank shot low to the five hole that Sosnovec got in front of and DeVey kicked the rebound wide left.
In the second half the Broncos again tried to shake the Bulldogs, but the play of Sosnovec once again denied them of turning this match into a rout.
Early in the second half Jason Cunliffe took a shot from the right wing that was deflected by Sosnovec at the right post and knocked out of bounds. At the 60 minute mark Chris Clark tried to dent the net with a header off a corner but was denied, and two minutes later Sosnovec made back-to-back stops on DeVey as he couldn't bury the rebound after Sosnovec thwarted the initial shot.
The Bulldogs had their scoring chances, only to be denied by Kent Harkness who posted his fifth and sixth shutouts of the year by blanking the University of Portland and Gonzaga by identical 1-0 scores to sweep the Pacific Northwest schools for the weekend.
The Bulldogs, who have been shut out in all seven losses this season, had a good early scoring opportunity just eight minutes into the contest when Arni Pjetursson's free kick hit a defender, changed directions and was knocked over the top of the net at the last second by Harkness. The Bulldogs almost got the equalizer at 59:05 when John Rhea's header off a corner kick was knocked away by Harkness and out of bounds in a goal mouth melee.
The last solid chance for the Bulldogs came at 81:26 when John Palladino's thru ball couldn't be controlled Luke Miller from about 12 yards. Miller tried to turn back to his right to get a solid kick, but the ball skittered off his right foot and past the right post.
For the second straight match the Bulldogs were again without head coach Einar Thorarinsson on the sideline. He is still recuperating following surgery last Monday to repair facial injuries suffered in an automobile-bicycle accident last weekend in Los Angeles. Assistant coaches Mike Thompson and Mike McCarthy are running the team in his absence.
The Bulldogs, who made their first home appearance since Sept. 11 with Sunday's match, will be home twice this week for WCC play. Gonzaga meets the University of San Francisco on Friday at 3 p.m. and Saint Mary's College on Sunday at 2 p.m.
