Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Gu Women Finally Claim A Wcc Win

College soccer

Gonzaga University’s women’s soccer team recorded its first West Coast Conference victory in five years of trying by rallying for a 5-2 triumph over Saint Mary’s on Sunday.

The Bulldogs brought a 0-26-1 WCC record into the match at Gonzaga, but they came out of it with back-to-back wins for the first time in the program’s eight-year history.

“This is sweet. We’ve never known this euphoria,” said Gonzaga coach Ric Grenell. “Once we got the two goals, I felt we could win it.”

GU (3-4-0, 1-1-0) trailed 2-0 after 22-1/2 minutes. However, Sara Streufert put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard at the 30-minute mark and, after moving from the right side to the middle for the second half, she tied the score off Betsy Platt’s throw-in at 47:30.

The latter goal cost Saint Mary’s the services of goaltender Amber King, who landed on her injured right shoulder trying to stop Streufert’s hard shot from the right side.

With midfielder Daisy Renazco minding the net, Molly Bales put Gonzaga ahead just 1:30 later after a pass from Streufert.

Megan Keaty scored 75 seconds later, and Shannon Stanford completed the scoring at the 88-minute mark.

Freshman Gina Legaz played in goal for Gonzaga because regular Sara Kinsky had to sit out a game after being red-carded in Friday’s match. Legaz stopped eight shots.

Randi Glas and Deka DeWitt each scored for Washington State as the Cougars stopped Utah State 2-0 in a non-conference match at Pullman.

The Cougars (2-3-0), who halted a three-match losing streak, outshot the Aggies (2-5-0) 21-12.

Whitworth’s offensive pressure produced a 3-0 victory over visiting Pacific in an NCIC match.

The triumph was the third in a row for the Pirates, who are 3-3-1 overall, and their third shutout. They are 3-1 in conference competition. Pacific fell to 2-6, 2-3.

The Pirates outshot the Boxers 32-6.

Men

Loyola Marymount University built a two-goal lead then held on to defeat Gonzaga 2-1 in a West Coast Conference opener at Gonzaga’s Martin Field.

Gonzaga (6-2-0) lost to Loyola (2-2-1) for the first time in the five-year WCC rivalry.

Barton Payne scored for the visiting Lions just 56 seconds into the match on J.J. Rackleff’s cross through the box. Luis Alvarez got past Gonzaga defender Joe Marks at the upper left corner of the 18-yard box and then beat goaltender Josh Fouts one-on-one for the second goal at 15:01.

Jeff McAllister, the WCC and Far West Region scoring leader, put Gonzaga in the scoring column at 63:32, connecting for his 11th goal with an indirect kick over a wall of LMU defenders.

Gonzaga kept constant pressure on LMU goalie Jared Bailey and the Lions the rest of the way, outshooting Loyola 8-6 in the second half. But Bailey made a pair of solid saves in the waning minutes.

Pacific’s Boxers scored once in each half to defeat Whitworth 2-0 in NCIC action at Whitworth.

Although Whitworth (3-3, 1-3) mustered 17 shots, keeper Nick Vorberg recorded eight saves for Pacific (5-2-2, 3-0-2).

, DataTimes