Oct. 31, 2005
Box Score
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Gonzaga University scored three times in a 17:58 span late in the match - including a pair of goals by George Josten - as the Bulldogs took a come-from-behind 3-2 West Coast Conference men's soccer victory over the University of San Diego on Monday.
Josten scored his ninth and 10th goals of the season to pull the Bulldogs into a 2-2 tie, then redshirt freshman Chris Hoyd made his first collegiate goal a big won as he got the decisive tally.
The Bulldogs (5-7-4; 3-4-2) were playing their third match in four days and their second straight against the Toreros (8-5-3; 4-4-1), USD taking a 2-1 victory on Sunday. Monday's match was a make-up of the Oct. 2 match scheduled for Martin Field but postponed after heavy rains left the Gonzaga field unplayable.
Josten's fist goal came from 10 yards out inside the penalty box at 68:57, Josh Westermann getting the assist. The sophomore from Idaho Falls, Idaho, connected against at 78:41 on a breakaway with assists going to Scott Meslin and Mark Stock. The decisive goal by Hoyd, a redshirt freshman from Boise, Idaho, came from 25 yards out into the top of the net at 86:55, Peter Peterson getting an assist.
Josten's 10 goals this season move him into a tie for fifth on the Gonzaga single-season list with Brian Ching. His 15 career goals moved him into a tie for seventh on the career list with Arni Ingi Pjetursson.
Dade Smith picked up the goalkeeper victory, getting his second straight start in place of Vito Higgins who was shaken up in a collision at Loyola Marymount on Friday. Smith made four saves as the Bulldogs were out-shot 20-10. Lance Friesz had two saves for the Toreros.
The Bulldogs fell behind early when Scott Martin's header in the box off a free kick got past Smith at 19:18. The match stayed that way until Kevin Meissner hit the open net at 64:41, Smith coming out to make the save and getting beat for the goal.
Monday's match is arguably the best comeback in Bulldog history since joining the West Coast Conference in 1993. In 2000 the Bulldogs trailed Saint Mary's College 1-0 at Martin Field when Brian Ching scored on a header at 86:08, then Ching fed a wide open Abbas Faridnia in front of the goal for the match winner with :07 remaining.
Gonzaga will be back on the road this Friday at Saint Mary's College, then returns home for the final three regular-season matches beginning Sunday when the University of Washington visits for a 1 p.m. match.
