SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Gonzaga University keeper Ryan Caballero and the Bulldogs recorded their fifth shutout of the season Sunday, but had to settle for a double-overtime scoreless tie at the University of San Francisco in a West Coast Conference men's soccer match.
It was the first scoreless tie for the Zags since 2011 when they battled UMKC to a scoreless draw at the Hensor/Zaher Nike Soccer Classic hosted by Oregon State University. The Bulldogs (5-2-2) head home after the first weekend of WCC play with a pair of ties after a 1-1 deadlock Friday at Saint Mary's College, the first WCC road point for the Bulldogs since 2009.
The evenness of this match can be seen in the shots where the Zags had 22 with nine on goal turned away by USF (3-4-2, 0-1-1) keeper Chase Hauser and the Dons with 24 shots, seven of those on goal stopped by Caballero.
Both teams missed outstanding chances to get the one goal that would have made the difference on this 76-degree day in the Bay Area with the temperature even hotter on the turf.
The match was one of territorial streaks.
"It was a game of spurts, and it was hot. Guys were struggling after the overtime on Friday and we didn't have a lot of fresh bodies," said Gonzaga head coach Einar Thorarinsson, who substituted freely on Friday. "The guys played with heart and left it all on the field. Every single match (this season) has been grinding out the match with the effort being there."
Thorarinsson again credited the defense.
"We're relying on defense right now," Thorarinsson said. "Lars (Ludwigs) and the four guys behind him - Josh (Phillips), Greg (Carter), Nikolai (Littleton) and Andrew (Owenson) are solid. They do not break. We bend a little but never break. It's the best defensive five I've had in a long time."
Mauricio Diaz De Leon had one of the best chances of the match in the 15th minute when he came down the left side of the 18, forced Caballero and a Gonzaga defender to commit and then went right, chipping the ball high over the wide open net. Less than a minute later David Romney sent a header off a corner kick high over the goal and in the 23rd minute the Zags Greg Carter knocked an attempt out of the way.
Gonzaga had a 10-7 shots advantage in the first half, Hauser called on to make five routine saves while Caballero didn't face a shot on goal from the Dons in the opening half.
It was the Dons again with the territorial advantage through the first 20 minutes of the second half.
Miguel Aguilar got off a low shot Caballero was able to save in the 53rd minute, and Caballero made perhaps his best save of the day when Vegard Karlsen took a high, hard shot toward the far upper corner as Caballero went full extension to his right to tip the ball over the V in the 61st minute.
But the Bulldogs started to carry the action the final 25 minutes of the second half. Josh Phillips had a good chance in the 80th minute from the right side that sailed past the far corner to Hauser's right. Zach Hamer also had a good, wide-open look from the left side outside the 18 that he shot high over the far post.
But the closest the Zags came was on a shot from Jakob Granlund from the right flank in the 87th minute that went hard off the cross bar, the 17th shot for the Bulldogs in regulation.
Both teams had chances to win in overtime.
Danny Kirkland's free kick from 25 yards on the right side forced Caballero to make a diving stop to his left. Disaster almost struck later for Caballero as he came out to meet Aguilar coming down the left side. Aguilar's kick deflected off Caballero who was able to dive on the ball before Aguilar could recover for a second chance.
Karlsen also had a shot that bounced off Greg Carter's back in the 103rd minute.
Zach Hamer nearly ended things for the Bulldogs in the 107th minute. Ben Striar drove in and his shot was blocked to a wide-open Hamer on the left wing whose shot to the far side was tipped away by Hauser.
Garret had one last chance for the Dons in the final minute of play, his hard shot from 30 yards on the left side stopped by Caballero at the far post.
Nick Hamer had seven shots for the Bulldogs, three of them on goal.
"Nick had another good match. He's a warrior, a bulldog," Thorarinsson said of the senior.
The Bulldogs, who have played just two of their first nine matches at home this season, make their WCC home debut Friday when Loyola Marymount University visits at 3 p.m. followed by the University of San Diego Sunday for a 1 p.m. match. A three-match homestand concludes Oct. 16 when the University of Portland visits.
