Sept. 20, 2005
Box Score
SPOKANE, Wash. - Bryan Jordan's second goal of the match at 80:44 gave Oregon State University a come-from-behind 2-1 non-conference men's soccer victory in the home opener for Gonzaga University on Tuesday.
Jordan, who had played in just five of the Beavers' first seven matches and was scoreless entering Tuesday, got the ball off a deflection of a Gonzaga defender and hit the decisive goal from about 12 yards.
The Bulldogs (2-2-1) had taken a 1-0 lead on George Josten's third goal of the season at 23:06. Scott Campbell got the assist, Josten taking a long left-to-right past and beating OSU keeper Packy Deenihan.
That's the way the match stayed until the Beavers knotted things at 67:22, Jordan getting just enough of his foot on the ball to push it past Higgins, who had ranged far out of the net to meet the ball.
The first half was marred by a midfield collision involving Gonzaga's Campbell and OSU's Alex Christensen. Campbell challenged Christensen for the ball and the impact of the simultaneous kick attempt took both players to the ground with right knee injuries. Both players will be examined further on Wednesday, but preliminary reports were that each had suffered at least a medial collateral ligament injury, sidelining both players for the Gonzaga Nike Soccer Classic that starts Friday.
"We let one get away," Gonzaga head coach Einar Thorarinsson said of the loss. "I think the difference was their depth. And now losing Scott we lose another midfielder."
The Bulldogs are already without midfielders John Palladino (summer knee injury), John Reha (broken foot during the summer) and Steve Owens (knee injury), all sidelined for the season. In addition, defender Daniel Scott will redshirt with a groin injury that has been slow to heal this fall.
Both teams had other scoring opportunities. Higgins just got to the right post to get his hand on a header by the Beavers' Matt Johnson at 64:27, and the Bulldogs' Robert Anderson had a close-in shot deflect off Deenihan at 75:18. In the first half Josten had a shot skid past the left post with Deenihan on the ground.
OSU held a 13-9 advantage in shots, Higgins making five saves for the Bulldogs and Deenihan a pair of saves for OSU. The fouls were even at 16 and the only three corner kicks in the match came by the Bulldogs in the second half.
Gonzaga will remain home to host this weekend's tournament. Friday's action has OSU meeting the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at 1:30 p.m. and the Bulldogs facing Jacksonville University at 4 p.m. Sunday's matches have OSU taking on Jacksonville at noon followed by Gonzaga and UW-Milwaukee at 2 p.m.
Tuesday's match was the first of six straight home matches for the Bulldogs, including three straight to open West Coast Conference action.
