Oct. 21, 2010

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BULLDOGS OPEN SECOND HALF OF WCC PLAY: Gonzaga University's men's soccer team doesn't have to go far to open the second half of West Coast Conference play this weekend, the Bulldogs heading to nearby Portland, Ore., for a 7 p.m. match Saturday against Pacific Northwest rival University of Portland. The Bulldogs will be looking for a better finish to WCC play than the 1-5-0 start they posted in the first go-round of conference tilts. The Pilots are currently second at 4-1-1 for 13 points behind undefeated and once tied Loyola Marymount University (5-0-1) with 16 points. Santa Clara University, 2-0-4 in WCC play, lurks in third place with 10 points.

REGIONALLY RANKED FOE: Saturday's match is the latest against a regionally ranked foe for Gonzaga University as the University of Portland enters the contest ranked fifth in this week's NSCAA/HendrickCars.com Far West regional ranking, marking the sixth Bulldog opponent in the last seven matches to come into the match with a Far West ranking. The Pilots (7-2-4) are also receiving votes in the NSCAA/HendrickCars.com Top 25.

ON THE NATIONAL SCENE: Two Gonzaga University opponents are ranked in this week's NSCAA/HendrickCars.com and/or Soccer America Top 25 rankings. UC Irvine, which defeated the Bulldogs 4-0 in the season opener, is ranked ninth in both polls while West Coast Conference leading Loyola Marymount University is 22nd in the NSCAA/HendrickCars.com balloting after entering the poll last week at No. 24.

BULLDOGS SNAP LOSING SKID: Gonzaga University's men's soccer snapped a four-match West Coast Conference losing streak with a 3-1 home victory last Friday over the University of San Francisco. Colin Flynn scored the match-winning goal at 27:18 then assists on the insurance goal in the in the 85th minute. The Bulldogs good fortune didn't continue Sunday as Saint Mary's College scored in the 88th minute for a 1-0 victory. Gonzaga couldn't dent the goal despite controlling the bulk of the play over the final 20 minutes.

STAYING ON THE ROAD: Saturday's match at the University of Portland will be the first of three straight road matches for Gonzaga University. The Bulldogs head to Saint Mary's College next Friday for a 3 p.m. contest then head to the University of San Francisco for a Halloween contest at 1 p.m. Gonzaga finishes the season and West Coast Conference play with four of its final six matches on the road.

MATERN BEGINS REHABILITATION: Sophomore midfielder James Matern will be sidelined for the season after having hip surgery Oct. 8. While he cannot do anything soccer-related on the leg and hip he has begun a light rehabilitation program that includes walking in the resistance pool that includes a treadmill. It is not known how long it will be before Matern is able to resume soccer activity. The Spokane native and graduate of Ferris High has not played yet this season. He started all 16 of his appearances a year ago.

BULLDOGS VS. PILOTS: Gonzaga University dropped a 2-0 match to the University of Portland in the first meeting this year at Gonzaga Soccer Field as the Pilots scored a goal in each half. The match was the home opener for Gonzaga after playing its first seven matches away from Gonzaga Soccer Field. The Bulldogs are now 3-3-4 in the last 10 meetings against the Pilots. The teams tied the first meeting 2-2 at Gonzaga a year ago and the Pilots took a 5-1 home victory four days later. Last year was the first time Portland won on its home field since 2004 when the Pilots claimed a 2-0 victory. Portland still leads the overall series 20-9-4 dating back to 1981. Since Gonzaga joined the West Coast Conference in 1993 the Pilots hold a slim 12-9-4 edge in the series.

BUSY IN GOAL: Gonzaga redshirt freshman Ryan Caballero has been busy in the nets this season, his 5.23 saves/match ranking him 21st in the NCAA Division I statistics. He's made 68 saves through 13 matches. His 68 saves tie him for 10th with current Bulldog assistant coach Vito Higgins who had 68 in 2006. Scott Barnum, with 104 last season, is the all-time single-season leader.

COACHES TAB BULLDOGS 7th: The West Coast Conference coaches have tabbed Gonzaga University to finish seventh this season. The WCC again figures to be a strong conference with Loyola Marymount University edging the University of Portland and the University of San Diego for the preseason top spot. Four teams - LMU, Portland, San Diego and Saint Mary's College - received first place votes and just six points separated first through third place. The Lions finished with 32 points and three first-place votes, followed by the Pilots (28 points and two first place votes), the Toreros (26 points and one first place vote) and the Gaels (22 points and one first place vote). Rounding out the poll was Santa Clara University in fifth (20 points), the University of San Francisco in sixth (12 points) and Gonzaga. "It's going to be another tough WCC season," head coach Einar Thorarinsson said.

THE THORARINSSON FILE: Einar Thorarinsson is in his 16th season at Gonzaga University. He has taken the Bulldogs to two NCAA Tournaments, the first in 2001 and the last in 2007. Thorarinsson is the winningest coach in Bulldog men's soccer history with a 129-129-25 record. He earned his third WCC Coach of the Year honor in 2005, and won his 100th Gonzaga match in 2006. For Thorarinsson's complete biography visit the web at http://www.gozags.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/thorarinsson_einar00.html.

ON THE WEB: All Gonzaga University home matches and selected road contests 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 for all home matches and selected road contests through the Gonzaga website.