Sept. 8, 2006

Box Score

CORVALLIS, Ore. - Junior George Josten scored two goals and assisted on the third as Gonzaga University (2-2-1) blanked Xavier University (1-3-0) Friday in the Stephen Hensor/Joe Zaher Memorial Classic hosted by Oregon State University at Lorenz Field.

The Bulldogs prevailed despite playing 76 minutes shorthanded after Peter Peterson was whistled for a red card in the 14th minute.

The Bulldogs got their first goal at 21:43, Grant Lundberg making a run with the ball down the left side. Lundberg spotted Josten running down the right side of the field, and his well-placed cross-field pass just made it over the last Xavier defender's head. Josten took the pass in stride, bore down on goal and shot the ball past keeper Liam Curran who had come out to challenge Josten and cut down the angle.

Gonzaga made it 2-0 in the 33rd minute on a quick-strike counterattack. Ben Sawyer slid in to take the ball away from a Xavier attacker in the midfield and popped it high in the air downfield. Josten flicked it on with his head to freshman Tye Perdido, who split two defenders and went in one-on-one against Curran for his first collegiate goal.

Josten's second goal of the match and his fourth of the season was a brilliant individual effort at 75:56. He took the ball in the final third of the field and weaved his way past several Xavier defenders and the Musketeer keeper before finishing from a few yards out.

Josten, a junior from Idaho Falls, Idaho, now has 21 career goals, becoming the fourth 20-goal scorer in Gonzaga history. He ranks fourth in career goals behind Jeff McAllister (45), Jason Kuska (35) and 2006 USA World Cup member Brian Ching (34). His assist was his second of the season and the eighth of his career, leaving him one shy of moving into a tie for 10th with Abbas Faridnia who had nine career assists.

Xavier out-shot Gonzaga 13-7, but Bulldog keeper Vito Higgins needed only two saves to record his first shutout of the season and the fifth of his career. The junior from Kailua, HI, entered the season third in career shutouts and still trails fellow Hawaiians Josh Fouts (19) and Mike McCarthey (13).

Gonzaga will meet host OSU in the tournament finale Saturday at 7:30 p.m. OSU was a 3-0 winner over UC Davis in the late game Friday. Saturday's first match will have UC Davis facing Xavier at 5 p.m.

Senior forward Robbie Findley had a goal and two assists to lead Oregon State over the Aggies.

Freshman forward Justin Woodward scored his first collegiate goal and sophomore midfielder Josh Cameron also scored for the Beavers, who are off to their best start since also beginning the 2002 season 4-1.

OSU put a barrage of headers toward the UC Davis net in the first 10 minutes. Findley had two on goal (one cleared off the line by a UCD defender), and junior defender Alex Christensen put one high.

In the 30th minute, the Beavers struck for their first goal. Junior defender Brett Gardner sent a long ball up from his left back position. Findley brought it down, took a couple of dribbles toward the middle, paused just outside the top of the box and drilled a laser inside the left post. It was Findley's first goal of the season and the 23rd his career, giving him sole possession of fourth place on OSU's all-time list.

The Aggies' Dylan Curtis gave his team two solid chances to equalize with two hard shots from the left wing in the first 10 minutes of the second half, but each went a few feet right of the goal.

Oregon State also kept up the pressure in the second half. Senior forward Bryan Jordan got a breakaway in the 47th minute, but UCD goalkeeper Charles Warne came out to smother his shot attempt.

The Beavers made it 2-0 in the 55th minute. Junior midfielder Hiroshi Nishito sent in a cross from the right side. Findley got a leg on it, and the ball deflected off an Aggie defender to Cameron on the left side. Cameron had a lot of open net to choose from, and he scored easily for his second goal of the season.

The Beavers' third goal came in the 74th minute. Findley had the ball on the counterattack and took it to the edge of the box. He waited, then sent a no-look pass off to his left for the streaking Woodward. UCD goalkeeper Brian Wickers got his hand on Woodward's shot, but not enough to prevent the ball from going to the back of the net.