SPOKANE, Wash. - The Gonzaga women's soccer team finished its 2015 spring schedule without a loss, and gave its underclassmen valuable experience heading into the fall season.
The Zags faced four opponents, three on the road, and hosted its annual eight-versus-eight tournament during the spring slate.
Gonzaga opened the schedule at Idaho on March 28. After the Vandals started the scoring on a penalty kick, Sydney Anderson recorded her first career goal to even the match. The Zags would leave Moscow with the 1-1 draw.
The Bulldogs traveled to Pullman, Wash., the following week for a matchup with Washington State. In a game that was played with three 30-minute periods, Gonzaga jumped out to an early 2-0 lead with a pair of goals in the first period. Kristin Hayman and Karley Baggerly each found the back of the net for the Zags. The Cougars would even the score with a goal early in the second period and a second in the third period. GU drew with Washington State, which finished last season with 10 wins and in the NCAA Tournament.
In its lone full-lineup match of the spring schedule at home, Gonzaga welcomed Montana on April 12. The Zags fought for another tie, but had the decisive edge in opportunities in front of a good-sized crowd at Luger Field. After a scoreless opening 45 minutes, Montana struck on a free-kick just outside the 18-yard box, 10 minutes into the second half for the first goal. The Bulldogs evened the score in the 76th minute with a penalty kick that slid right past the Grizzlies' goalkeeper into the left side of the net. Gonzaga had a 15-4 advantage in shots in the match. Montana won 12 matches last fall, and was the Big Sky regular season champions.
Gonzaga then made a quick trip to Corvallis, Ore., for a meeting with Oregon State. The Zags once again controlled the tempo and dominated in shots on goal. Despite this, GU left the Willamette Valley with a scoreless draw.
"We had a ton of opportunities in that game," Gonzaga assistant coach Morgan Church said. "We had shots hit the post, cross-bar, and their keeper made some great saves. We felt liked we deserved the result, and didn't capitalize on the chances we created. We were disappointed we didn't leave with a victory over a Pac-12 opponent, but we had our best chances up to that point in the spring. It gave us some great energy and promise heading into the fall."
The Bulldogs wrapped up the spring schedule with the eight-versus-eight tournament at Gonzaga. The Zags started slow before drawing with Eastern Washington in the opening game. GU then grabbed a 1-0 win over Montana, a 3-0 victory over Spokane Falls Community College, and a 2-0 win over Idaho. The highlight of pool play may have been a 3-2 victory over the GU Alumni team. With the score tied at two entering the final 10 minutes, the current Zags scored the game-winner in the final minutes.
In the semifinals, the current Bulldogs cruised past their alumni, 4-0, before winning the tournament with a 4-1 win over Eastern Washington in the championships.
"I thought this spring was incredibly beneficial for our young group and they got some great experience," GU head coach Amy Edwards said. "We didn't lose a game all spring, played two of our best games on the road, with both coming against Pac-12 schools."
The Zags' 2015 fall schedule will be released in the near future. An early look at the slate reveals a competitive non-conference schedule, preparing GU for the ever-tough West Coast Conference.
