Conference Slate Beckons as Zags host Saint Mary's, Pacific
10/1/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
SPOKANE, Wash.—After a well-deserved weekend off, the Gonzaga University women's soccer squad is ready to open West Coast Conference play, and they'll do so at home by hosting Pacific and Saint Mary's this weekend.
The Zags enter conference action with a 5-5-0 record, most recently splitting a two-match swing in Texas with a double-overtime victory over North Texas and an overtime loss at SMU. Offensively, they've scored 16 goals in 2014 and are fourth in the conference in the statistic. Karley Baggerly leads the team with four goals—tied for fifth in the conference—while five different Zags have tallied at least five points on the year.
During the non-conference schedule, Gonzaga played 10 matches in five weekends, making trips to central California; southern California; Boise, Idaho; and the Dallas area for matches. The road-tested Zags will depend on the experience and team cohesiveness gained during the first 10 games to prepare for the upcoming conference slate.
"The goal of non-conference season has been to prepare us for the difficult WCC slate of games and to learn how to win on the road in tough environments," said Gonzaga head coach Amy Edwards. "The team is refreshed and rejuvenated from our weekend off last week and excited about starting conference play at home this Friday."
The Zags' first WCC match of 2014 will be on Friday, Oct. 3, when they host Saint Mary's at 3:30 p.m. on Luger Field.
The Gaels are 6-5-0 on the season, most recently beating Cal Poly in overtime on Sept. 26. They've netted 18 goals on the season, tied for the second most in the conference, but have allowed 18 as well, also the second most. Samantha Dion leads the squad with seven goals, while Jessica Castillo has tallied seven assists on the year.
After hosting Saint Mary's, Pacific comes to Luger Field for an 11:00 a.m. contest on Sunday, Oct. 5.
The Tigers are 2-7-1 after non-conference play, most recently battling to a 1-1 draw at UC Davis. They've scored a total of five goals all season, all five of which have come from different players. Defensively, they've allowed 23 goals on the year, an average of 2.2 allowed per contest.
Live stats for both matches will be available on www.gozags.com and both matches will be streamed live on http://thew.tv.
