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Zags Fall To Defending WCC Champs
Sept. 29, 2006
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Gonzaga University got on the scoreboard but it wasn't enough as the Bulldogs lost to two-time defending West Coast Conference champion and 23rd-ranked University of San Francisco 2-1 on Friday at Negoesco Stadium. The Bulldogs (3-5-1; 0-3-0) had been shutout in their two WCC openers last weekend. Gonzaga got on the scoreboard first as George Josten, the WCC's leading scorer entering the weekend with 15 points, passed the ball through the Dons' defense to a wide-open Grant Lundberg who beat Geremy Uhl from seven yards to give the guests a quick 1-0 lead at 24:53. It was the second goal of the season for Lundberg and the 10th assist in the junior Josten's career, moving him into a tie for eighth with Chris LaRochelle and Matt Blasdel on the all-time GU list. The Dons (6-3-1, 1-2-0) would score the equalizer less than five minutes later when Zags' goalkeeper Vito Higgins bowled over Aaron Chandler in the penalty box at 29:14. USF's Rob Valentino was able to blast the penalty kick into the lower right corner to equal the score at 1-1. USF, which outshot Gonzaga 15-8 overall and 10-2 in the second half, was able to take the lead early in the second half. Ardalan Attar deflected a Jesse Henderson pass to Chandler running through the box. The senior striker took the pass and had no problem beating Higgins to the lower left to give USF what turned out to be the decisive goal at 53:20. USF was able to hold on as both teams had chances saved by their goalkeepers in the final minutes. Chandler's goal was his 13th career match-winning goal and his 14th career WCC goal which puts him in third place in the league record books, just two behind Gonzaga's Jeff McAllister who totaled 16 from 1994-97. The match was the lone contest of the weekend for Gonzaga, which ended a stretch of seven straight road contests. The Bulldogs, who have not played at home since opening the regular season with back-to-back home matches Aug. 25-27, will return home next Friday to face Santa Clara University. Gonzaga will play 6-of-8 matches at home in the month of October.
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