SPOKANE, Wash. - It was an exciting afternoon at the Gonzaga Soccer Field as the Gonzaga University women's soccer team battled back to earn a 2-1 victory over the University of Oklahoma in an exhibition match Sunday. The Bulldogs, down 1-0 late in the second half, tallied two goals in the final eight minutes to secure the come-from-behind exhibition win over the Big 12 Conference Sooners.
"I was excited about what I saw today," said Zag head coach Amy Edwards of her team's effort. "I am excited to have a group that will battle back and compete for 90 minutes."
Gonzaga was in control the majority of the match, holding the 8-0 edge in shots after the first 45 minutes and did not allow the Sooners a shot until the 51st minute when Shiloh Price hit a volley off a corner kick that Zag keeper Christie Tombari easily saved.
Unfortunately, the Bulldogs scored an own goal in the 74th minute to give the Sooners the 1-0 advantage.
Freshman defender Sarah Carter - who played the full 90 minutes for GU - tried to clear a dangerous cross but instead flicked it into the goal to give the Sooners the one goal lead.
Slightly rattled, Gonzaga regrouped quickly though and found the equalizer less than 10 minutes later, with the goal coming from Carter. The Bonney Lake, Wash., native scored a header off the Bulldogs eighth corner kick of the contest, taken by junior Tori Lee.
"Right away Sarah was brilliant for us," stated Edwards of Carter, one of two freshmen to start the match for GU. "It was unfortunate for her to give up the own goal but that is going to happen here and there. I thought she played very, very well and looked like a veteran to me."
It was another freshman starter - Ashely Aberton - that made the second goal happen. Aberton, a midfielder, was played a ball behind the defense from junior Kasey Rubosky. Her quickness got her to the ball first and with an open path to goal, a Sooner defender brought her down. A free kick was awarded 25-yards from goal.
"Ashley has progressively gotten better each day," said Edwards. "We gave her the start today and I think you could see that she can give some defenses trouble with her speed and pace."
Lee was tapped to take the free kick. She blasted a low shot passed the wall and into the left corner of the netting to give Gonzaga the 2-1 advantage with 1:47 seconds remaining in the contest.
It wasn't lost on Edwards that the Zags two goals came on set pieces.
"It is always what we focus in on because we want to take every opportunity given," explained Edwards, in her fifth year at the helm. "We are going to take advantage of set pieces if that is what we are given. We work on them all the time and I am extremely happy to see it paid off today."
Six of the Bulldogs 11 freshmen saw action Sunday, while Tombari, a sophomore goalkeeper, also saw her first taste of collegiate play after shadowing veteran Susan Brown in 2012.
"I was pretty excited about our freshmen players and what they give us," stated Edwards. "The great thing is we are now not only dangerous on Kasey's [Rubosky] creativity, Tori's [Lee] passing ability and Heather's [Johnson] ability to hold the ball, but now have the ability to get behind as well because of these new players."
Gonzaga ended the match with the 15-4 advantage in shots and the 9-8 edge in corner kicks. Tombari closed out the contest with one save, while Sooner goalkeeper Kassidie Stade finished with five.
The Bulldogs begin the 2013 season at Eastern Washington University Friday, Aug. 23. Match time is set for 4 p.m.
