Bulldogs, Dons Begin 'Playoffs' Sunday In Crucial Match
10/15/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 15, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Sunday, October 18 - at San Francisco, 2 p.m.
Wednesday, October 21 - Portland, 2 p.m.
Sunday, October 25 - at Portland, 2:30 p.m.
BULLDOGS, DONS MAY BE IN PLAYOFF MODE: You might say the playoffs begin this week for Gonzaga University and the University of San Francisco when the two men's soccer teams meet Sunday at 2 p.m. at Negoesco Stadium on the USF campus. Both teams enter the contest 1-3-0 in the West Coast Conference and in a four-way jam with Loyola Marymount University and Santa Clara University, the latter two teams 1-2-0 for 3 points. While a fourth loss wouldn't officially eliminate either team from the WCC title chase, it would definitely put them at a historical disadvantage. Only once in the round-robin format of WCC play that began in 2004 has a team with four losses won the WCC regular-season title. That team? USF a year ago with a 7-4-1 record for 22 points, three points ahead of runners-up Gonzaga and the University of San Diego which each went 6-5-1 for 19 points. USF in 2004 and again in 2005 is the only school to capture the crown with three setbacks, the '04 team going 9-3-0 and the '05 squad 6-3-3.
TOPSY TURVY SO FAR: A check of the West Coast Conference standings through the early season shows the teams are almost totally flip-flopped from what the coaches predicted in their pre-season balloting. The coaches' pre-season prognostications with their current WCC place in parentheses looks like this: 1. San Francisco (T4), 2. Santa Clara (T4), T3. Loyola Marymount (T4), T3. Gonzaga (T4), 5. San Diego (1), 6. Portland (T2), 7. Saint Mary's (T2). However, there's plenty of soccer to be played.
GOOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!! When Gonzaga University downed Loyola Marymount University 2-1 in overtime last Friday, the match brought an end to a couple of streaks for the Bulldogs. The victory snapped Gonzaga's three-match losing streak and gave the Bulldogs their first WCC victory in three outings. When Nick Love scored the Bulldogs first goal at 73:57 it was their first goal in 343:57 dating back to a 2-1 overtime victory over Binghamton University on Sept. 18. Gonzaga had been blanked in three straight matches heading into the WCC home opener with the Lions.
BARNUM CONTINUES TO SHINE: While Gonzaga University's offense hasn't been consistent in recent outings, senior keeper Scott Barnum continues to play well as the last line of defense. Two of the last three goals he has surrendered have been via the penalty kick - a 1-0 setback at Santa Clara University on a last-minute PK and Loyola Marymount University's lone goal in Gonzaga's 2-1 win last Friday. University of San Diego scored the old-fashioned way in last Sunday's 1-0 victory at Gonzaga. His 57 saves are just 10 shy of cracking the Gonzaga single-season list, his two shutouts have moved him into a tie for eighth on the single-season charts (he had two shutouts a year ago as well) and his four shutouts rank fourth all-time.
OVERTIME SUCCESS: Gonzaga University has played four overtime matches this season, going 2-0-2. The Bulldogs have won their last two OT contests in the first overtime this season by 2-1 scores over Binghamton University and Loyola Marymount University. Gonzaga has played a 1-1 double-overtime tie at Ohio State University and a 1-1 single-overtime outing at home against Oregon State University in a match that was called due to darkness. Over the past five years the Bulldogs are 7-3-13 in overtime contests.
ZAGS VS. DONS: Gonzaga University has had good success against the University of San Francisco in recent meetings, the Bulldogs going 4-1 in the last five matches with the Dons. Gonzaga captured last year's second meeting 3-2 at USF after the Dons had snapped a three-match losing streak to the Bulldogs with a 2-1 victory in Spokane. Prior to that the Bulldogs had swept the 2007 season series 1-0 at home and 2-0 at USF, and the Bulldogs captured the final meeting of the 2006 season 2-1 at home in double-overtime to snap a six-match winless streak against the Dons that had seen the Bulldogs go 0-5-1 in that stretch.
PILOTS UP NEXT: Following Sunday's match at the University of San Francisco there will be little time for rest as Gonzaga University returns home for a rare mid-week West Coast Conference match against Pacific Northwest rival University of Portland. The two teams will meet at 2 p.m. at Gonzaga Soccer Field. Four days later the Bulldogs will be at Portland for a 2:30 Sunday matinee.
MOVING UP: Tye Perdido's goal last Friday against Loyola Marymount University was his 19th career goal, moving him into sole possession of fifth place on the all-time Gonzaga University list and ahead of current GU assistant Mike Thompson who had 18 tallies from 1996-99. The senior from Kula, Hawai'i, now has 46 career points and ranks sixth on the Gonzaga charts, six points shy of catching Thompson for fifth. Ben Funkhouser picked up his 10th career assist and first of the season against the Lions, moving him into a three-way tie for 10th on the all-time Gonzaga list.
WCC STATS: Gonzaga University has three players in the Top 10 in West Coast Conference scoring - Tye Perdido is tied for fifth with 9 points, Nick Love is tied for seventh with 8 points and Ben Funkhouser is tied for 10th with seven points. Perdido is tied for fourth in goals with four and Funkhouser tied for sixth with three. Love is tied for first with four assists. Scott Barnum's .829 saves percentage and 58 saves both lead the conference, and his 1.10 GAA is fourth.
ON THE WEB: All Gonzaga University home matches will be available on video through the CBS College Sports Online All-Access subscription service available at http://wwww.gozags. Gametracker will be available free of charge through the Gonzaga website for all home matches. Check the schedule and All-Access page at http://www.gozags.com for video and Gametracker of away matches.
