Men's Soccer Ends Season Saturday
11/11/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Nov. 11, 2003
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Sat., Nov. 15 - at San Francisco, 1 p.m.
END OF REGULAR SEASON
BULLDOGS END SEASON SATURDAY: Gonzaga University's men's soccer team will conclude the season Saturday when the Bulldogs play at the University of San Francisco. Game time is 1 p.m. at Negoesco Stadium. The Bulldogs are riding a 7-game losing streak following a 5-0 setback at Saint Mary's College last Saturday.
STREAK LONGEST SINCE 1994: The current 7-game losing streak Gonzaga University is in the midst of is the longest since 1994 when the Bulldogs opened the season with seven straight defeats. It's also the longest losing streak in head coach Einar Thorarinsson's nine years at the helm.
BULLDOGS CAN'T ESCAPE CELLAR: Last Saturday's 5-0 loss at Saint Mary's College relegated Gonzaga University to last place in the West Coast Conference. The Gaels had one win prior to meeting Gonzaga, with SMC and Loyola Marymount University now with six points each heading into the final weekend of action. The Bulldogs have never finished last all alone, the 1994 team knotting LMU for the sixth and seventh spots with 0-5-1 records, the teams battling to a scoreless overtime tie in their meeting in Los Angeles. The 5-0 setback was the worst loss for the Bulldogs since a similar loss at the University of San Diego to end the 1994 campaign.
NEVER WITHOUT A POINT: Gonzaga University needs at least a tie on Saturday at the University of San Francisco to ensure the Bulldogs won't go pointless in West Coast Conference play for the first time since joining the conference in 1993. The Bulldogs went 0-5-1 in 1994 for the closest they've come to going pointless in WCC play.
BERTRAM GAINS ACADEMIC HONOR: Gonzaga University senior forward Scott Bertram became the first College Sports Information Directors of America District VIII Academic All-America team. The Moses Lake, Wash., native carries a 3.58 GPA in business administration. He has started all 15 matches this season with 4 goals, 4 assists and 12 points. He scored the game-winning goal against UNLV in a 3-2 victory and Gonzaga came from a 2-0 deficit in the final five minutes. He is currently tied for seventh in the West Coast Conference scoring race, is tied for ninth in goals and ranks sixth in assists. He was one of three WCC selections to the 11-man team.
SCORING SLUMP: Gonzaga University has scored just four goals in five West Coast Conference matches, two of those in a 3-2 overtime loss to the University of Portland. Gonzaga has been blanked twice in WCC play.
BRONCOS WIN: The Santa Clara University men's soccer team laid claim to its ninth West Coast Conference title with its 2-0 victory over the University of San Diego last Saturday in front of a wet crowd of 512 fans in Buck Shaw Stadium. With the win the Broncos' improve to 13-2-3 overall and 5-0-0 in the WCC while the Toreros fall to 12-4-2 overall and 4-1-1 in league action. The Broncos have 15 points in the standings with one match remaining, while USD finished the WCC campaign with 12 points.
BULLDOGS VS. DONS: Gonzaga University holds a 6-4-0 advantage over the University of San Francisco since joining the West Coast Conference for the 1993 season. USF took the first three meetings in the season by a combined scored of 10-0, but the Bulldogs came back to win six straight by a combined scored of 13-5. USF snapped its 6-game skid to Gonzaga with last year's 2-0 win in Spokane.
ZAGS AMONG WCC LEADERS: Four Gonzaga University players dot the West Coast Conference scoring race - Arni Ingi Pjetursson is fifth with 15 points, Scott Yuska is eighth with 13 points and Kari Arnason and Scott Bertram are in a five-player logjam for ninth with 12 points. Pjetursson, Arnason and Yuska are in a five-way tie for fifth in goals scored with five each. Pjetursson is tied for fifth in assists with five, while Bertram is in a 14-way tie for seventh with four.
YOUTH MOVEMENT CONTINUES: The youth movement continues for Gonzaga University as seven freshmen started last Saturday's match at Saint Mary's College, and a total of 10 freshmen saw action. "We played well, but we're so young," head coach Einar Thorarinsson said. Injuries have depleted the Bulldogs, especially on defense where three starters have been sidelined for the past month.
LIVE ON THE INTERNET: Saturday's match between Gonzaga University and the University of San Francisco will be available via Livestats on the Internet at http://www.gozags.com. Click on the Livestats link to follow the action.
WIN NUMBER 200 PUT ON HOLD: With just one match remaining this season, Gonzaga University head coach Einar Thorarinsson will have to wait until next season to record his 200th career victory. He has 197 wins as he concludes his 18th year on the sidelines.
THE THORARINSSON TALE OF THE TAPE: Gonzaga University head coach Einar Thorarinsson is 78-63-10 in his ninth season with the Bulldogs. His overall record is 197-115-23 that includes nine seasons across town at Whitworth College. After going 3-10-2 in his first season of 1995, the Bulldogs have had winning seasons in six of the last season 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.
