SPOKANE, Wash. – Gonzaga women's soccer head coach
Chris Watkins released the Zags' 2019 schedule Friday. GU plays 10 regular season matches at home, including the opener on Aug. 16.
The Bulldogs' upcoming slate features 20 matches in the regular season. Gonzaga's 2019 schedule features seven teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
The Zags begin their 2019 season against Washington in an exhibition on Aug. 16. The Huskies return 88 percent of their goal-scoring from 2018, including the team's top two scorers in Olivia Van der Jagt and Summer Yates. The Husky defense will feature 157 combined career starts and every single start from 2018.
Gonzaga makes its second-ever trip to the state of Texas, and first in five years, when it visits Texas and Sam Houston State on Aug. 22 and 25. It will be the first meetings against both teams for the Bulldogs. Texas finished 13-5-3 last season at No. 20 in the nation. The Longhorns were beat in the Big 12 semifinals, before falling in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
On Aug. 29, GU welcomes Colorado State. The Zags won the first-ever meeting between the programs last season, 2-0. In Fort Collins, Gonzaga's
Madeline Gotta and
Samantha Heilman both found the back of the net in the first 13 minutes of the game.
The Bulldogs host three straight 2018 NCAA Tournament teams to open September, beginning with Montana on Sept. 1. The Grizzlies made a run to the Big Sky Conference tournament title last season. On Sept. 5, GU and Washington State meet at Luger Field. The Cougars received votes in the final poll last year, after ending the season in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at 13-6-1. Seattle University won the Western Athletic Conference title and won 10 games in 2018. The Redhawks travel to Spokane on Sept. 8. The Bulldogs shutout Seattle on the road last season, 1-0.
Gonzaga returns to the Midwest for matches at Kansas State and Nebraska on Sept. 12 and 15. It will be the first-ever meetings against both opponents for GU. The Zags are the first opponent located west of the Rocky Mountains to visit Manhattan for a regular season match. Nebraska narrowly missed the NCAA Tournament last season, after winning nine matches and advancing to the Big Ten tournament semifinals.
Idaho State and Gonzaga meet for the eighth time on Sept. 20, before the Bulldogs return to Texas for a matchup at Baylor on Sept. 22. Baylor won 20 games last season, finishing the year in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals, ranked a program-record ninth in the country. The top-seeded Bears were upset in the Big 12 Conference tournament championships.
The Zags begin West Coast Conference play in Spokane against San Diego on Oct. 5. GU visits Portland on Oct. 9, before hosting San Francisco on Oct. 12. The Bulldogs travel to Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount on Oct. 19 and 23. Gonzaga closes October by welcoming Santa Clara on Oct. 26. The Broncos won the WCC title in 2018, advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, and finished the year ranked 12
th in the nation with a 17-3-2 record.
On Nov. 2, GU plays a matinee match at Saint Mary's, prior to hosting BYU on Senior Night on Nov. 6. The Cougars ended 2018 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament with 13 victories. Gonzaga finishes its regular season schedule at Pacific on Nov. 9.
"This schedule is the beginning of a long term strategy to both bring in ranked opponents to Gonzaga and to prepare and develop our team to play in the NCAA tournament," Watkins said.
Gonzaga 2019 Schedule
| Date |
Opponent |
Time |
Location |
| Aug. 16 |
Washington # |
5 p.m. |
Spokane, WA |
| Aug. 22 |
at Texas |
5 p.m. |
Austin, TX |
| Aug. 25 |
at Sam Houston State |
11 a.m. |
Huntsville, TX |
| Aug. 29 |
Colorado State |
7 p.m. |
Spokane, WA |
|
|
|
|
| Sept. 1 |
Montana |
1 p.m. |
Spokane, WA |
| Sept. 5 |
Washington State |
7 p.m. |
Spokane, WA |
| Sept. 8 |
Seattle |
1 p.m. |
Spokane, WA |
| Sept. 12 |
at Kansas State |
5 p.m. |
Manhattan, KS |
| Sept. 15 |
at Nebraska |
11 a.m. |
Lincoln, NE |
| Sept. 20 |
Idaho State |
7 p.m. |
Spokane, WA |
| Sept. 22 |
at Baylor |
11 a.m. |
Waco, TX |
|
|
|
|
| Oct. 5 |
San Diego * |
7 p.m. |
Spokane, WA |
| Oct. 9 |
at Portland* |
7 p.m. |
Portland, OR |
| Oct. 12 |
San Francisco * |
7 p.m. |
Spokane, WA |
| Oct. 19 |
at Pepperdine * |
1 p.m. |
Malibu, CA |
| Oct. 23 |
at Loyola Marymount * |
7 p.m. |
Los Angeles |
| Oct. 26 |
Santa Clara * |
7 p.m. |
Spokane, WA |
|
|
|
|
| Nov. 2 |
at Saint Mary's * |
2:30 p.m. |
Malibu, CA |
| Nov. 6 |
BYU * |
7 p.m. |
Spokane, WA |
| Nov. 9 |
at Pacific * |
7 p.m. |
Stockton, CA |
|
|
|
|
| # Exhibition |
|
|
| * West Coast Conference game |
|
|
| Times are Pacific |
|
|
