Nov. 5, 2009

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BULLDOGS MAKE FINAL ROAD TRIP: Gonzaga University makes its final regular-season road trip of the 2009 season this week when the Bulldogs head to Loyola Marymount University Friday and the University of San Diego Sunday for a pair of West Coast Conference matches. Friday's match begins at 2:30 p.m. with Sunday's tilt at 1 p.m. Gonzaga will conclude the regular season next Friday the 13th at home when the University of San Francisco visits for a 1 p.m. Senior Day matchup.

BULLDOGS GET HOME SPLIT: Gonzaga University split a pair of West Coast Conference home matches last week. Santa Clara University took advantage of a turnover in front of the goal to bang home the only goal of the match in a 1-0 overtime victory, then the Bulldogs exploded for five second-half goals to top Saint Mary's College 5-0.

BARCLAY HAS QUITE A WEEK - ON AND OFF THE FIELD: Senior defender Nick Barclay had quite a week for Gonzaga University - on and off the field. Sunday he converted a penalty kick for what proved to be the match-winning goal in the Bulldogs 5-0 win over Saint Mary's College. It was his fifth career goal and three of them have been match winners. Off the field he was named to the ESPN District 8 All-Academic team as selected by the College Sports Information Director of America. The native of Boise, Idaho, carries a 3.46 grade point average in civil engineering. He was named to the 2008 West Coast Conference All-Academic team, the 2008 WCC Commissioner's Honor Roll and was tabbed the WCC Defender of the Year last season while also earning first-team honors. He became the first Bulldog to be named the conference's top defender. Other Bulldogs who have been recent selections to the District 8 All-Academic squad are Scott Bertram in 2003 and George Josten from 2005-07. Josten was a third team Academic All-American in 2005 and garnered first-team honors in 2006 and 2007. Barclay will now go on the national Academic All-America Ballot.

THIRD PLACE IN RANGE: Third place in the West Coast Conference race is still within reach for Gonzaga University. The Bulldogs are currently fourth with a 3-5-1 record for 10 points, trailing third-place University of Portland (3-3-3) by two points. The University of San Diego sits atop the conference with a 7-1-0 record and 21 points while Saint Mary's College is second at 6-2-1 for 19 points. By winning their last three matches Gonzaga would finish WCC play at 6-5-1 for 19 points and 9-7-3 overall and would have to receive consideration for an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament. The conference champions receives an automatic berth and it isn't out of the question the WCC could place three teams in this year's tournament field.

SCORING BURST: The five goals Gonzaga University scored against Saint Mary's College last Sunday are the most for the Bulldogs since a 5-1 victory over Montana State University-Billings in 2004, and the most against a NCAA Division I opponent since a 5-3 win over Air Force to open the 2003 season at the Parents Weekend Invite hosted by the Falcons. Gonzaga had downed the University of Detroit Mercy 4-0 earlier this year, one of five 4-goal matches since the win over Air Force.

PENALTY KICKS: Gonzaga University has not been part of a missed penalty kick this season. Nick Barclay's PK last Sunday made the Bulldogs 2-for-2 in the department this season, and opponents are a perfect 3-for-3. Ben Funkhouser has the other penalty kick for the Bulldogs this season. The last time the Bulldogs had two successful penalty kicks in a season with 2001.

BARNUM GETS AN ASSIST: Not only did Gonzaga University senior Scott Barnum record his fourth shutout of the season and the sixth of his Bulldog career, he also assisted on the Bulldogs last goal Sunday in the 5-0 victory. It was his first assist in six years since playing U-17 soccer and was the first assist by a Bulldog keeper since 2001 when Mike McCarthy registered one against Valparaiso in a 2-0 victory at the OSU Beaver Classic hosted by Oregon State University.

ZAGS VS. LIONS: Gonzaga University won this year's first meeting with Loyola Marymount University 2-1 in overtime at Gonzaga Soccer Field. Gonzaga leads the overall series 13-9-1 and has won two straight.

BULLDOGS VS. TOREROS: The University of San Diego took a 1-0 victory over Gonzaga University in Spokane in the first meeting this season. The Toreros have the all-time series lead at 16-5-1. The Bulldogs are just 2-8-0 all-time at USD.

WCC STATS: Tye Perdido and Ben Funkhouser give Gonzaga University two players in the Top 10 in West Coast Conference scoring - Perdido is fourth with 16 points, Funkhouser tied for eighth with 12. Perdido is tied for fourth in goals with six while Funkhouser is tied for ninth with four. Perdido, Funkhouser and Nick Love are in a logjam for fifth in assists with four. Funkhouser's two match-winning goals put him in a multi-player tie for third. Scott Barnum's .816 saves percentage and 80 saves both lead the conference, and his four shutouts rank third. With 12 saves in his remaining three matches he would surpass Mike McCarthy atop the single-season saves list, McCarthy with 91 in 2002.

ON THE WEB: All Gonzaga University home matches will be available on video through the CBS College Sports Online All-Access subscription service available at http://wwww.gozags. Gametracker will be available free of charge through the Gonzaga website for all home matches. Check the schedule and All-Access page at http://www.gozags.com for video and Gametracker of away matches.