Nov. 4, 2005
Box Score
MORAGA, Calif. - Gonzaga University redshirt freshman Scott Meslin scored his first collegiate goal with 55 seconds remaining in the first overtime to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 West Coast Conference men's soccer victory over Saint Mary's College on Friday.
Meslin took a cross from Grant Lundberg and beat Gaels (7-9-1; 4-6-0) keeper Brian Mason on a one-touch from 6 yards to give the Bulldogs (6-7-4; 4-4-2) their third WCC victory in their last four outings. The win vaulted the Bulldogs into second place in the WCC with 14 points, pending the outcome of a pair of late matches that saw league-leading Santa Clara University hosting the University of San Diego, and Loyola Marymount University traveling to the University of San Francisco. SCU (6-1-1) leads the WCC with 19 points. Trailing the Bulldogs are USD (4-4-1) and LMU (4-3-1) with 13 points each, and USF (3-3-2) with 11 points.
Meslin, who has played in 13 matches this season with 11 starts, was forced to sit out his freshman season at Gonzaga with a medical redshirt when he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury during the summer of 2004 after committing to the Bulldogs. His first point as a Bulldog came this past Monday when he picked up an assist on the game-tying goal as the Bulldogs scored three times in the final 21:03 to rally from a 2-0 deficit and defeat the University of San Diego 3-2.
SMC, which had taken the first meeting between the teams 1-0 on Oct. 9 in a match that was moved to Eastern Washington University after heavy rains earlier in the weekend left Gonzaga's field unplayable, took an early 1-0 lead when Michael Clegg took a cross from Anthony Butler and flicked the ball past Bulldog keeper Vito Higgins at 2:38. Higgins returned to action after sitting out Sunday and Monday matches at USD after being injured the previous Friday with 21 minutes to play at LMU. It was the only goal the sophomore from Kailua, Hawai'i, would allow as he made seven saves the rest of the way.
Lundberg drew the Bulldogs even at 14:57, taking a pass from Mark Stock and launching a shot from 9 yards out on the left side of the box into the right side of the net and past Mason, who had nine saves in the match.
Saint Mary's held a 21-14 edge in shots, including 10-6 in the second half and 4-1 in the overtime. Each team had one shot on goal in the final five minutes of regulation, and the Bulldogs had a corner kick opportunity with just over a minute to play in regulation.
The Gaels came out firing in overtime, getting three shots that sailed wide in the first five minutes, then got a shot on goal with three minutes remaining in OT. Meslin's goal was the lone Bulldog shot of the extra session.
Gonzaga returns home Sunday to face the University of Washington in a non-conference match at 1 p.m. on Martin Field. It will be just the second time the Bulldogs have played on Martin Field since Sept. 30, the last a 1-0 win over the University of Portland on Oct. 20. The Bulldogs conclude the regular season with home matches next Thursday against SCU and Saturday against USF, both starting at 1 p.m.
