Oct. 21, 2005
Box Score
SPOKANE, Wash. - Cristin Leverson's goal in the 21st minute lifted the 22nd ranked Gonzaga University women's soccer to a 1-0 shutout win against the Toreros of the University of San Diego in a West Coast Conference match Friday afternoon at Martin Field.
With the shutout, senior goalkeeper Ashley Haugen recorded her seventh shutout of the season, breaking her own single-season record for most shutouts. Haugen recorded three saves in the match. USD's starting goalkeeper Karen Cook took the loss for the Toreros allowing one goal while recording one save.
With the win the Bulldogs have tied a program record with 11 wins, remain undefeated on their home pitch with a 5-0-0 record, have posted their third consecutive shutout, are off to their best start in program history at 11-3-2 and are off to their best WCC start in program history at 2-1-1. With the loss, the Toreros fall to 4-10-0 overall and 1-3-0 in the WCC.
Gonzaga dominated the time of possession in the early going allowing the ball to cross into their half of the field only a couple of times through the first 25 minutes of play. At the 20:25 mark the Bulldogs would tally the only goal they would need as junior defender Beth Drollinger controlled a lose ball and skied a pass into a crowded goal box. Leverson then corralled the pass and put the ball into the back of the net for her fifth goal of the season.
At about the 26 minute mark the Toreros went on the offensive attack putting pressure on the Bulldogs defense. The Zags stood their ground for the next several minutes as the Toreros had four corner kicks in a two minute span, but were unable to penetrate the goal as Haugen recorded two big saves in the period.
The two teams then battled each other evenly through the remainder of the first period and throughout the majority of the second period. The Toreros gave the Bulldogs a scare in the last 10 seconds of the match. USD sent the ball into a crowded Gonzaga goal box and Shannon Sullivan rose above all the defenders to redirect the ball towards the Gonzaga goal. The ball went over the heads off all players except Haugen, who made a great save stretching her 5-11 body as high as she could to punch the ball out from just under the crossbar. The ball then fell to the feet of Veronica Ambort who hit a laser shot that sailed over the goal, preserving the win for the Bulldogs.
Gonzaga outshot San Diego 15-9 and USD had a 8-6 advantage in corner kicks.
The 22nd-ranked Bulldogs will return to the pitch on Sunday as they host No. 5 Santa Clara University in a 1 p.m. WCC match at Martin Field.
