Tough Day for GU Soccer

Both the men and women's soccer team took the field today, and it's safe to say that neither team got the result that they were hoping for. The men's team finished off the UNLV Nike Invitational with a crushing 3-2 defeat against UC Riverside, while the women's team fell 1-0 to Wyoming.

- After a solid victory over UNLV to kick off the UNLV Nike Invitational, the men's soccer team was looking for the tournament championship against UC Riverside. It was a game that saw the Bulldogs dominate UC Riverside for the first 60 minutes, as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Tim Muravez scored in the both the 43rd and 53rd minute, and it seemed that the Zags were well on their way to victory. Both goals came off corner kicks that were delivered by Ben Funkhouser, but the comfortable lead was short lived.

In the 56th minute, the Zags lead was cut in half, when UC Riverside scored on a chip shot from Nathan Patterson. The game was tied only seven minutes later, when Michael Vega scored off a free-kick. It seemed that the game was destined for overtime, but the Highlanders had other ideas. In the 88th minute, Robert Cate was able to get his head to a cross, and it as enough to give the Highlanders a 3-2 lead. However, the Bulldogs had a great chance to send the game to overtime, but Zach Smith saw his shot hit the crossbar with one second left in the game.

The guys will return to the field on Friday, when they will make their home debut at the new Gonzaga Soccer Field. They will be hosting the Gonzaga Nike Soccer Classic, and will take on UMKC at 4:00 PM on Friday. The tournament will continue on Sunday afternoon, when the Bulldogs will host CSUB at 2:00 PM.

- The women's soccer team took on the University of Wyoming in the final game of a four-game homestand for the ladies. In what turned out to be a very defensive game, the Bulldogs could not overcome an early goal from the Cowgirls, as they fell 1-0.

It was Wyoming who came out aggressive, as they pressured the GU goal throughout the first half. The Lady Zags were able to hold strong against the attack for much of the first half, but finally cracked in the 30th minute. After a string of pieces from the midfield, Amanda Lathrop saw herself alone in the middle of the GU defense, and she delivered a strong shot into the corner of the goal. There was nothing that Lauren Ames could do to keep the ball out of the net, and the Cowgirls were up 1-0.

Gonzaga turned up the pressure in the second half, but despite outshooting the Cowgirls 4-0, they were unable to find the net. Jessie Sorensen came close, but her shot was blocked, while both Ashley Riley and Courney Peacock could not convert good opportunities. With the loss, the Bulldogs drop to 4-3 on the season. They will certainly be disapointed at the 2-2 record they had during their four-game homestand.

The team will return to action on Friday, when they will play in the University of Colorado tournament next week. On Friday, the ladies will go up against the University of Colorado, who participated in the NCAA tournament last season. They will finish the tournament on Sunday, when they will challenge the University of Denver.