Zags Still Fighting For Spot In Tourney
Einar Thorarinsson, the Gonzaga men’s soccer coach who’s always resourceful with his words, summed up the Bulldogs’ postseason chances in one sentence.
“Basically, we have to win all the conference games,” said Thorarinsson, whose team is ranked fifth in the Far West region behind Stanford, Washington, UCLA and Portland.
But even if the Bulldogs (11-3-0, 2-2-0 West Coast Conference) beat San Diego (5-6-1, 0-2-0) on Friday and upset NSCAA/Umbro No. 18 Portland (9-4-1, 2-0-0) on Nov. 7, that would give them a 4-2-0 conference mark. They finished at 4-2-0, 11-6-1 overall last season, and stayed home.
The Bulldogs could strengthen their chances of an NCAA Tournament invitation if they beat No. 7 Washington on Oct. 31 and follow with a win over Oregon State on Nov. 2. Aside from playing the remaining four games in Spokane, Gonzaga has another huge advantage - 5-foot-9 forward Jeff McAllister.
Once again, the senior from Portland has his offense working. He’s third in the country in points with 43 and fourth overall in goals with 18, breaking his own records set last year. Last week, McAllister had 10 points on four goals and two assists and was named WCC player of the week.
“He continues to be very opportunistic,” Thorarinsson said. “He’s so darn competitive it carries him through.”
Pilots fly high with Harrison
Angela Harrison, a Gonzaga Prep graduate, is having a career season for the Portland Pilots.
The sophomore keeper has guided the No. 3 team to a 9-3-0 record, 1-0-0 in the West Coast Conference. Her 0.33 goals-against average ranks her second nationally behind LaKeysia Beene of Notre Dame (0.27). Oddly enough, the 5-8 keeper backed into the starting job. When All-WCC keeper Cheryl Loveless blew out her knee in the spring, Harrison stepped in.
Midfielder Kim Stiles, another Spokane connection formerly of Mead High, has two goals, one assist and five points.
“She’s one of the most improved players on the team,” said Steve Walker, Portland soccer sports information director.
Wittstruck delivers for UPS
Harrison isn’t the only G-Prep keeper who’s off to a great collegiate start. University of Puget Sound freshman Ryan Wittstruck has guided the the Loggers to a 9-3-3, 8-3-2 NCIC record. In 15 games, Wittstruck has 66 saves and has given up 11 goals. He also has eight saves.
The second-place Loggers will be in Spokane on Saturday when the they meet eighth-place Whitworth (4-7-3, 2-7-3) in an NCIC match at 2:30 p.m.
Wittstruck, a freshman, got the starting job when UPS’s starting keeper blew out his knee in training camp. Wittstruck was NAIA national player of the week in late September when he finished with 18 saves and two shutouts in three games. It was the first time a UPS player earned the national honor.
Corner kicks
Washington State’s women (7-6-0, 2-2-0 Pacific-10 Conference) play their final five games on the road against Stanford, Cal, Washington, USC and UCLA. The Cougars, coming off back-to-back losses to Arizona State and Arizona, are led by Deka DeWitt. The freshman forward is tied for 12th in the conference in scoring with 15 points (six goals). … Junior Coug Amy Chippendale is tied for 17th with 11 points. … Gonzaga’s women (7-8-0, 1-2-0 WCC) have posted their best single-season turnaround in WCC history. The Bulldogs are a six-game improvement over last year’s 1-16-3 team with five games left. Freshman Sara Steufert (U-Hi) leads the team with seven goals and 16 points, both school records.
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo