Oct. 20, 2004
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SPOKANE, Wash. (Oct.20, 2004, www.gozags.com) - The Gonzaga University women's soccer team (10-6-0, 2-1-0 WCC) is off to its best conference start in program history and will try and improve upon that this weekend when the Zags travel to the Golden State for a pair of West Coast Conference matches. On Friday the Zags will travel to Santa Clara, Calif., for a 7 p.m. match against No. 10 Santa Clara University. On Sunday the Bulldogs will travel to Southern California for a 1 p.m. match against the 25th ranked University of San Diego.
LAST TIME OUT: Gonzaga University picked up two wins over West Coast Conference foes last weekend. On Friday, the Zags handed Loyola Marymount University a commanding 3-1 loss, snapping the Lions five-match unbeaten streak. Freshman midfielder Heather Horn scored two first-half goals and senior Ashley Pryor added one goal. On Sunday, the Bulldogs faced their second nationally-ranked opponent in as many weeks. This time the Zags were on the winning end of the match. GU's identical twins Annie and Sarah Hawkins each tallied one goal in the 2-0 shutout over No. 20 Pepperdine University.
HAUGEN GETTING IT DONE: Gonzaga University junior goalkeeper Ashley Haugen played a pivotal role in the Bulldogs 2-0 record last weekend. In Friday's win over Loyola Marymount University Haugen only allowed one goal and recorded eight saves. On Sunday, she recorded six saves in the shutout. Haugen is posting a 1.25 goals-against-average and has recorded 87 saves. Haugen's play last weekend earned her a West Coast Conference Player of the Week nomination.
RANKED OPPONENTS: Gonzaga University is 2-31-0 all-time versus ranked opponents. The two wins have come against Pepperdine University over the past two seasons. GU will have a chance to improve upon that record this weekend as they face two nationally ranked opponents.
HEATHER IS TOOTING HER HORN: Gonzaga University freshman midfielder Heather Horn has made her impression on the team. Horn is ranked second in goals scored with five and is tied for second in total points with 12.
ZAGS ON THE ROAD: Gonzaga University is posting a .500 record on the road this season at 4-4-0 and is being outscored 15-11 in those matches. GU's lone three-match losing streak of the season came when the Zags were on the road from Sept. 26 through Oct. 3.
IN THE POLLS: In the Oct. 18 Soccer Buzz West Region Poll, Gonzaga University received a vote as one of the top teams in the region. This was the second time this season the Bulldogs have received a vote for the West Region poll, the other time Sept. 6 when the Zags had a 3-1 record.
ZAGS HIT 10 WINS: Gonzaga University has hit the 10-win barrier for the second time in program history. Last season the Zags won a school-record 11 matches and this season's squad could match that with one win this weekend.
SCOUTING THE BRONCOS: The Santa Clara University women's soccer team enters the week with an overall record of 9-4-2 and a 2-1-0 mark in the West Coast Conference. SCU holds a 11-0-0 all-time record over the Bulldogs. The Broncos are outscoring their opponents 25-14 and hold a decisive 206-97 shot advantage. The offensive charge for the Broncos is led by sophomore forward Tina Estrada who has posted a team-leading seven goals and added three assists for 17 points. Sophomore goalkeeper Julie Ryder has a goals-against-average of 0.95 with 25 saves and five shutouts.
SCOUTING THE TOREROS: The University of San Diego enters the week with a 9-6-1 overall record and are unblemished in the West Coast Conference at 3-0-0. San Diego is currently on a five-match win streak. The Toreros are 10-1-0 all-time versus Gonzaga University with the Bulldogs claiming the last meeting 1-0 in 2003. San Diego's offense is led by freshman forward Amy Epsten with 10 goals and three assists for 23 points. The defense is led by freshman goalkeeper Karen Cook with a 1.20 goals-against-average and has recorded 60 saves. USD is outshooting its opponents 206-165 and has a 28-20 advantage in goals.
LIVE ON THE INTERNET: All Gonzaga University home matches as well as all West Coast Conference road matches will be available via Gametracker on the internet at http://www.gozags.com. Check the Gonzaga web site for all Gametracker links.
THE STILES FILE: The first female head women's soccer coach in the history of the West Coast Conference, Shannon Stiles enters her sixth season at Gonzaga with the program coming off the most successful season in school history. The Bulldogs posted their first winning season in school history with an 11-8-0 record and a 3-4-0 mark in WCC play. The three wins in WCC play surpassed the previous total of two conference wins Gonzaga had collected during 10 previous seasons of WCC play. For her efforts Stiles was named WCC Coach of the Year. Her overall record as a collegiate head coach is 37-70-2, making her the winningest coach in program history.
