• 2009 Gonzaga Nike Soccer Classic

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Oct. 16, 2008

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BULLDOGS HOME FOR SINGLE MATCHES: Gonzaga University will be home for the next two matches, the Bulldogs playing Saint Mary's College Friday at 3 p.m. and the University of Portland next Friday at 2 p.m. in the lone West Coast Conference action for the Bulldogs the next two weekends. Following these next two home matches the Bulldogs close the regular season with three of their final five matches on the road.

GONZAGA SWEPT ON ROAD: Last weekend was one Gonzaga University would just as soon forget about and put behind them. The Bulldogs lost 3-0 at the University of San Diego and 2-1 in overtime at Loyola Marymount University in a pair of West Coast Conference matches.

STILL IN THE HUNT: The pair of road losses suffered last weekend pushed Gonzaga University out of first place in the West Coast Conference, but the Bulldogs are by no means out of the race as the WCC season nears the halfway point. The Bulldogs are 2-3-0 for 6 points in the WCC chase, just three points behind first-place University of San Diego (3-0-0 for 9 points). Gonzaga trails Saint Mary's College by one point for second place and the Bulldogs find themselves tied with Loyola Marymount University and the University of San Francisco for third place, so a win over the Gaels Friday would vault the Bulldogs into no worse than a tie for second. Friday's match with SMC marks the halfway point of the WCC season for Gonzaga.

WOES AT SAN DIEGO CONTINUE: There's something about San Diego, Calif., that doesn't sit well with Gonzaga University's men's soccer team. The Bulldogs woes at the University of San Diego continued last week in a 3-0 West Coast Conference defeat. Since joining the WCC for the 1993 season, Gonzaga is 2-8-0 at USD, 2-9-0 if you throw in a 1992 non-conference match as Gonzaga tested the waters of some WCC teams prior to its first official year in the league. Friday's shutout was the sixth the Bulldogs have suffered at USD and the third straight at Torero Stadium since Gonzaga posted a 3-2 victory in 2005. It was also the Toreros third straight shutout in the series, USD taking a pair of 1-0 victories last season, including a 1-0 overtime victory at Gonzaga.

OVERTIME SETBACK: Gonzaga University's 2-1 overtime defeat at Loyola Marymount University was the fourth overtime match of the season for the Bulldogs who are now 2-1-1 in extra sessions this season. Gonzaga downed Santa Clara University 2-1 and UMKC 3-2 at home in OT, and played Oregon State University to a scoreless road deadlock. Overtime matches are nothing new to the Bulldogs, who have played at least four overtime matches each of the past four seasons, including six last season. Gonzaga's OT record in the last four seasons is 6-3-9.

PERDIDO CAREER HIGH: Tye Perdido's fifth goal of the season last Sunday against Loyola Marymount University was his single-season high, surpassing the four goals he scored as a freshman in 2006. He now has 11 career goals and 4 career assists for 26 points, tops among active players. He shares the team points lead this season with Ben Funkhouser with 10 each.

WHO'S IN GOAL? Head coach Einar Thorarinsson was uncertain who will be in the Gonzaga University nets Friday against Saint Mary's College. After using redshirt freshman Andrew Hickman in the season opener, junior transfer Scott Barnum in the next 10 matches and Hickman again last Sunday, Thorarinsson was contemplating his choice for this Friday's match. "They both have some very strong qualities," Thorarinsson said.

BULLDOGS VS. GAELS: Gonzaga University is 4-0-1 in the last five meetings with Saint Mary's College, the teams battling to a double-overtime scoreless deadlock in Spokane in last year's second meeting. Gonzaga leads the overall series 10-7-2. Last year's overtime was the third in the series, Gonzaga 1-0-2 in the OT frays.

U.S. CLINCHES BERTH: The U.S. Men's National Team clinched a berth in the Final Round of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying with a dominating 6-1 victory against Cuba at RFK Stadium last Saturday in Washington, D.C., with former Gonzaga University standout Brian Ching scoring one of the goals. After two point-blank attempts were saved, the Cuban goalkeeper was unable to keep out Ching's goal-line header in the 63rd minute. DeMarcus Beasley whipped in a free kick from the right side to the back post for a wide-open Sacha Kljestan, who headed the ball along the goal line where Ching did the last bit to make sure it was across the line.

GAMETRACKER, VIDEO AVAILABLE: Gametracker, a function of web site provider CBS Collegesports, and live video will be available for all Gonzaga University home matches and select Bulldog road contests this season. To follow Gonzaga University via Gametracker log on to http://wwww.gozags.com and go the Gametracker link in the schedule portion of the site. The video is subscription based off the All-Access portion of the website.

THE THORARINSSON TALE OF THE TAPE: Gonzaga University head coach Einar Thorarinsson is 115-108-21 in his 14th season with the Bulldogs. His overall record is 234-160-34 that includes nine seasons across town at Whitworth College. He picked up his 100th Gonzaga win in 2006 with a 3-0 home win at Saint Mary's College. After going 3-10-2 in his first season of 1995, the Bulldogs have had winning seasons in six of the last 10 seasons under Thorarinsson. His teams led the West Coast Conference in wins with a 14-4-0 record in 1997 and 12-4-2 mark in 1998, capturing WCC co-championships in each of those seasons. The Bulldogs were 9-5-2 in 2001, making their inaugural College Cup appearance. In 2005 Gonzaga went to the final match of the season with a chance to win the WCC title. He was accorded his third WCC Coach of the Year honor in 2005 to go with similar honors won in 1996-97 as he was the first coach in Gonzaga history to receive back-to-back WCC Coach of the Year accolades. He is the fourth winningest coach overall in WCC contests with 47 wins and is second among active coaches, Seamus McFadden of the University of San Diego atop both lists with 76 wins.