Women's Soccer Breaks Into National Rankings
10/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 17, 2005
SPOKANE, Wash. - For the first time in program history the Gonzaga University women's soccer team has broken into the Top-25, debuting at No. 22 in the latest Soccer America poll.
The Bulldogs are off to their best start in program history at 10-3-2 and are off to the second best West Coast Conference start in program history at 1-1-1 after registering an upset win over No. 10 Pepperdine University, GU's first win over a Top-10 team in program history, on Friday and on Sunday battling to a scoreless draw with Loyola Marymount University.
"I am thrilled," said head coach Shannon Stiles. "This is something that we always knew was possible, if you consider the status that Gonzaga has received with the success of the basketball program, and also playing in one of the strongest soccer conferences in the country. This is especially great for the seniors Ashley Haugen and Stacey Sarro. These two ladies chose to come to Gonzaga when we were not a winning program, have stuck with it, and are now reaping the rewards of four years of hard work and dedication."
This is the second award the women's soccer team has received this week with Haugen receiving the WCC Co-Player of the Week award. Haugen played an instrumental role in the Bulldogs recording back-to-back shutouts this past weekend. Haugen was peppered with 22 shots over the weekend, but served as a brick wall for the Bulldogs defense not allowing a ball to hit the back of the net. Haugen recorded seven saves over the weekend, five against LMU, and in the 1-0 win over Pepperdine she recorded her sixth shutout of the season tying the single-season shutout record at Gonzaga set by, herself during her freshman campaign in 2002.
The 22nd ranked Bulldogs will look to run their unbeaten streak to three with a pair of home WCC matches this weekend. On Friday, the Bulldogs will host the University of San Diego in a 1 p.m. match, and on Sunday the Zags will go to battle with No. 5 Santa Clara University in an 1 p.m. match.
