Oct. 3, 2005
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WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE: The Gonzaga University women's soccer team (8-2-1) will take its program best six match win streak on the road this week as they close out its non-conference schedule with a match against nearby-rival Eastern Washington University on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. in Cheney, Wash. The Bulldogs will then open their West Coast Conference play on Sunday at 2 p.m. against the second-ranked Pilots of the University of Portland in Portland, Ore.
LAST TIME OUT: Gonzaga University posted a two game sweep this past weekend at home, defeating the University of Idaho 3-1 on Friday and blanked Portland State University on Sunday, 1-0. On Friday, freshman defender Lori Conrad got things started for the Bulldogs with her first collegiate goal. At the 31:00 mark, Jamie Blanche skied a corner kick into the goal box where Conrad redirected the ball past the UI goalkeeper for GU's first goal. Goal two came at the 37:21 mark when junior Beth Drollinger launched a cross into the goal box where Cristin Leverson rose above the defenders and headed the ball past the UI goalkeeper. Nanda McCormick put the game out of reach in the 50th minute when she controlled a cross from Drollinger and headed the ball into the net. On Sunday, Leverson scored the contests lone goal in the 39th minute. Leverson controlled a lead pass from McCormick and out ran PSU's defense to hit a laser shot past the goalkeeper giving GU its fourth shutout in its past five contests.
ZAGS IN THE RANKINGS: Gonzaga University made its inaugural appearance in two West Region Polls last week, debuting at No. 10 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Poll and No. 14 in the Soccer Buzz Poll. The Bulldogs were also recognized in the NSCAA's Top-25 polls as one of the other eight schools receiving votes for the poll.
SCOUTING THE EAGLES: Eastern Washington University enters the week with a 3-6-2 overall record and a 1-0-0 record in the Big Sky Conference after picking up a pair of 1-0 wins against the University of Montana on Friday and the University of Idaho on Sunday. The Eagles are led offensively by sophomore striker Cyeeta Mott who has a team-leading three goals. Junior goalkeeper Tiera Como anchors down the defense with her 1.14 goals-against-average and 77 saves.
BULLDOGS VS. THE EAGLES: Gonzaga University and the Eastern Washington University will square off for the 11th time in program history with the Zags holding a 6-3-1 advantage. GU defeated Eastern Washington 4-0 in 2004 and have won two straight against EWU.
SCOUTING THE PILOTS: The second-ranked Pilots of the University of Portland enter the week with a 11-0-0 record, the best start in program history, after blanking Washington University 5-0 on Friday and battling to a 2-1 overtime win over Oregon State University on Sunday. The overtime game against the Beavers was only the first time this season that UP has played an overtime period. Portland is led offensively by senior forward Christine Sinclair who is leading the nation in goals scored with 20 and has added six assists for 46 points. Megan Rapinoeis is second on the team in goals scored with seven. Junior goalkeeper Cori Alexander anchors down the Pilots defense with her 0.30 goals-against-average, 12 saves and 10-0-0 record.
BULLDOGS VS. THE PILOTS: Gonzaga University and the University of Portland look to their 14th meeting in program history with the Pilots holding a perfect 13-0-0 record against the Bulldogs. Last season the Pilots were the only team to beat the Zags on their home pitch, a 1-0 decision.
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.
FACING THE RANKS: Gonzaga University is 3-35-0 all-time against ranked opponents. This weekend the Zags will look to improve upon those numbers as they open West Coast Conference Play against the second-ranked Pilots of the University of Portland.
WHO'S HOT FOR THE ZAGS: Sophomore forward Cristin Leverson has been hot as of late for Gonzaga University. This past weekend, Leverson tallied two game-winning goals to move her into second on the team in goals scored with four and total points with eight. Of Leverson's four goals this season, three of them have been game-winners.
GOING STREAKING: The Gonzaga University women's soccer team is in the midst of a six-match win streak after posting back-to-back home wins this past weekend against the University of Idaho and Portland State University. The streak is the longest in program history, surpassing the five-match win streak by the 2003 squad.
ABOUT THE RECORD: Gonzaga University is off to its best start in program history with a 8-2-1 record. GU's only losses of the season came at the 2005 Santa Clara adidas Classic to the defending national champion, the University of Notre Dame, and to No. 19 Cal State Fullerton.
CONFERENCE OPENERS: Gonzaga University is 0-12-0 in West Coast Conference openers with its closest match coming last season when GU lost to the University of Portland 1-0 on Oct. 10, GU's lone loss on their home pitch in 2004.
BEST EVER?: Gonzaga University senior goalkeeper Ashley Haugen has been rewriting the Gonzaga record books ever since her arrival on the Gonzaga campus in 2002, and against Portland State University on Sunday Haugen picked up her fifth shutout of the season, tying her for second in single-season shutouts with, herself. In 2003 Haugen posted five shutouts helping lead the Bulldogs to their first winning season in program history. Haugen needs one more shutout this season to tie her own record of six single-season shutouts that she set in 2002. Haugen is also the career-leader in shutouts at Gonzaga with 17.
AN OFFENSIVE DEFENDER: Gonzaga University junior defender Beth Drollinger has made a career out of stopping opponents from scoring goals. Now it seems she wants to get in on the goal scoring action. Drollinger has tallied a career-best two goals this season matching her career output. Drollinger is fourth on the team in goals scored with two, and has added two assists for six points.
RECORD WATCH: Gonzaga University sophomore striker Nanda McCormick has made a huge impact on the 2005 team, and now finds herself in the midst of cracking into the Gonzaga single-season record books. McCormick has a team-leading six goals and needs just one more goal to place her in a tie for sixth in single-season goals scored with former Gonzaga players Annie and Sarah Hawkins (2001-04). McCormick's 14 points on the season is just one point shy of tying Sarah Hawkins and Claire Whitfield (1999-2002) for eighth. Sophomore forward Christine Soma and senior defender Stacey Sarro are also close to placing themselves in the single-season record books for assists. Each player has three assists, one shy of placing them in a five-way tie for seventh with four.
FABULOUS FRESHMEN: Freshmen Lacey Castleberry, Lori Conrad and Stephanie Rubright have become regular starters in the Bulldogs' lineup with regular appearances by Kelcey Goddard and Lauren Dascenzo. Conrad tallied her first collegiate goal in the 3-1 win against the University of Idaho this past Friday and Goddard has tallied two assists on the season.
CREATING HER OWN STILE: The first female head women's soccer coach in the history of the West Coast Conference, Shannon Stiles enters her seventh season at Gonzaga University with the program coming off its second consecutive winning season. The Bulldogs posted their second 11-win season in school history with an 11-9-0 record and finished tied for fourth in the WCC with a 3-4-0 mark. The three WCC wins matched the 2003 team and passed the previous season-high total of two conference wins Gonzaga had collected during 10 previous seasons of WCC play. In 2003, Stiles was named the WCC Coach of the Year after guiding the Bulldogs to their first winning season in program history.
ZAGS TABBED TO FINISH 7TH IN WCC: The Gonzaga University women's soccer team is tabbed to finish in a tie for seventh in the West Coast Conference according to a WCC preseason coaches poll. The University of Portland is tabbed as the favorite to capture the 2005 WCC crown. Santa Clara University is picked to finish second and the University of San Diego rounds out the top three. Pepperdine University is tabbed fourth, Loyola Marymount University fifth, Saint Mary's College sixth, Gonzaga and the University of San Francisco tied for seventh respectively.
KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE FALL: Gonzaga University prepares to take on the toughest schedule in program history, including six teams that participated in the 2004 NCAA College Cup. Among the 12 non-conference games, the Bulldogs will face the defending national champion, the University of Notre Dame, within the first month of play. The Zags will also square off against one of the nation's premier women's soccer conferences, the West Coast Conference. The WCC has three teams ranked in the latest Soccer Buzz top 25 poll with the University of Portland at No. 2, Santa Clara University at No. 6 and Pepperdine University ranked No. 12.
