Gonzaga University
Saint Mary's
Bulldogs Drop 1-0 Decision To Saint Mary's
10/9/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 9, 2005
CHENEY, Wash. - Alex Christlieb tipped in Carlos Diaz's corner kick at 61:40 and Saint Mary's College made the goal stand up for a 1-0 West Coast Conference men's soccer victory over Gonzaga University on Sunday.
The match was played at the Eastern Washington University Sports and Recreation Center in Cheney because heavy rains last weekend left Gonzaga's Martin Field unplayable.
Diaz sent his kick from the right corner into the box where Christlieb was able to get the tip past Gonzaga keeper Vito Higgins for his fourth goal of the season. Following the goal the Bulldogs (2-5-2; 0-2-0) kept the pressure on the Gaels (6-4-1; 3-1-0) for the better part of the remainder of the game but could not get the equalizer past SMC keeper Brian Mason, who recorded his sixth shutout of the season. All six SMC wins have been via shutout this season.
SMC was kept off the scoreboard by Higgins about five minutes prior to the goal, Joaquin Jaime's low, hard shot from the left side deflected by the diving Higgins.
Gonzaga's Mark Stock had a pair of solid scoring chances in the first 15 minutes of the match. His first was a low, hard shot from 20 yards in the 11th minutes that Mason lost his footing on but was able to deflect the ball past the post to his left resulting in a Bulldog corner kick. The second shot was a hard shot from 18 yards straight on in the 15th minute that Mason was able to get the handle on with the chest-high save.
The Gaels' Anthony Butler challenged Higgins from 30 yards in the 37th minute, his high shot deflected by Higgins over the crossbar.
The Bulldogs held a 10-6 edge in shots, including 6-3 in the second half. Mason had four saves, Higgins three.
The win gives Saint Mary's a 7-6-1 edge in the overall series. The teams split both matches last season, the first year of double-round-robin scheduling in WCC men's soccer. The teams will meet again on Nov. 4 in Moraga, Calif.
Gonzaga will be on the road this week at the University of San Francisco on Friday and at Santa Clara University on Sunday.
