Game Recap

Men’s Soccer (Pre-season NCAA)
Sunday, August 26, 2007
TWU Spartans (0) at the Gonzaga University Bulldogs (4)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BULLDOGS POWER PAST SPARTANS

SPOKANE, Wash. – NCAA Div. I Gonzaga University scored three second-half goals and went on to post an impressive 4-0 exhibition victory over the Trinity Western University men’s soccer team Sunday afternoon in Spokane Wash.

"Fatigue makes cowards of us all and I knew in warm-up that we were in trouble," commented TWU Head Coach Al Alderson on his team’s performance. “We were not very good to start today and as the game went on it just got worse. We just were not willing to battle through the fatigue. And when you have our starting 11 having their worst performance ever combined with Gonzaga coming out fired up it was a recipe for disaster.”

The Bulldogs defeated TWU 3-1 last season in an exhibition at Martin Field, and had lost a 1-0 decision to the Spartans during the spring season in a match played at Western Washington University.

Gonzaga dominated play throughout most of the match, unleashing 23 shots – 11 of them on goal – while holding the visitors to just two second-half shots. TWU, who was playing their fifth match in seven days, didn’t record its first shot until the 53rd minute, a header off a corner kick that went high over the crossbar. TWU’s other shot was its best scoring opportunity of the afternoon, Jason Flint’s left-to-right shot just skittering past the right post in the 70th minute. “Jason was one of our bright spots. He did a good job creating some opportunities,” said Alderson.

The Bulldogs, with 10 returning seniors dotting the roster and eight of them in the starting lineup on Sunday, got the first goal of the match from sophomore Tye Perdido on an assist from Hermann Trophy candidate George Josten at 34:18. Josten dribbled through traffic to the 18 and slipped a pass to Perdido who scored from close range.

A pair of seniors combined on the second goal at 60:28 as Grant Lundberg beat keeper Andrew Fink low from close range off a shot by John Reha that was blocked. Josten scored the third goal at 75:10, a shot from 8 yards on the right side off an assist from newcomer Phillippe Garre, who scored the final goal at 88:13. Garre was alone on the right wing from 10 yards out and beat Fink to the far post.

Senior keeper Vito Higgins didn’t have to face a shot on goal in the Bulldog nets.

TWU keeper Anderw Fink made a big save early in the match, Luke Miller getting a thru ball from Ben Funkhouser on a breakaway and Fink making the point-blank save in the 19th minute.  “Despite the final score, Andrew did a descent job in net for us,” said Alderson. Perdido had an open-net shot blocked by the defense in the 31st minute just prior to the first goal. In the 62nd minute Bulldog freshman Joel Schilperoort had his open-net shot kicked out of harms way at the goal line by defender Paul Hamilton.

The Spartans were also whistled for a pair of red cards in the final 14 minutes, both within 47 seconds of each other at 76:44 and 77:31.

“It was a very difficult loss for us. Hopefully we will rebound and find more in us which will enable us to battle through adversity in the future,” added Alderson.

TWU (1-2-1) was playing its fourth match of the season, beginning the weekend with a 3-2 loss at Oregon State University on Friday. Next up for the Spartans is at the University of Victoria for a pre-season match against the Vikes on Friday, August 31 at 7:30 p.m. TWU kicks off Canada West Conference play at home on Friday, September 7 against the University of Saskatchewan and on Saturday, September 8 against the University of Alberta. Both matches are scheduled with a 7:15 p.m. kick-off.

-TW-