Gonzaga University
Sacramento St.
Men's Soccer Gets First Goal, Win
9/6/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Sept. 6, 2004
PORTLAND, Ore. - It took Gonzaga University 32 shots to collect its first men's soccer goal of the season, but it took Arni Pjetursson just one shot Monday afternoon to get the Bulldogs on the board as the Bulldogs gained a 3-1 victory over Sacramento State University in the Nike Invitational.
The Bulldogs finished 1-1 in the tourney hosted by the University of Portland following Saturday's 1-0 setback to the University of Alabama-Birmingham. The host Pilots, a 4-0 winner over Sac State on Saturday, was to meet UAB in Monday's tournament finale. Gonzaga raised its overall record to 1-2-0 after suffering a pair of season-opening shutouts. Sac State remains winless in three outings.
Pjetursson, who had nine of Gonzaga's 24 shots in Saturday's loss, scored on an 8-yard side volley after taking a cross from fellow senior Mike Herzog at 9:33 to end the Bulldogs scoring drought. Sophomore Scott Campbell also picked up an assist on the play.
The Hornets knotted the match at 23:13 as Patrick Nelle beat Gonzaga starting keeper Sean Sosnovec to the upper left corner from 18 yards on the right wing and the teams went to halftime tied.
Pjetursson, who tied for the team lead in goals last season with five and paced the team in scoring with 15 points, regained the lead for Gonzaga with his 7-yard rebound of a Josh Westermann shot at 53:20. Westermann, a JC transfer from Yavapai College, collected the assist for his first point as a Bulldog.
John Reha iced the victory with his header from 5-yards out that went through Sac State keeper Matt McDougall's hands, John Palladino getting the assist. It was the first career goal for the sophomore from Tacoma, Wash.
The Hornets applied some last-ditch pressure late in the match, Nelle's shot at 87:53 high over the net and his header in the waning seconds going wide right of the goal.
The Bulldogs held a 17-10 shots advantage, the Hornets getting just four second-half shots including the two late attempts when the outcome was all but decided.
Gonzaga head coach Einar Thorarinsson split his two keepers. Sosnovec, a transfer from DeAnza College where he played football the past two seasons and has started all three matches, played the first half and had one save. Junior transfer Tyler Rutz from nearby North Idaho College saw his first action of the season and had one second-half save. McDougall had seven saves for the Hornets.
The Bulldogs return home for just one match this weekend, hosting Montana State University-Billings at 2 p.m. Saturday.
