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| Bulldogs settle for a draw despite dominant performance | Photo Gallery [+] |
Friday evening’s season opener for the Gonzaga men’s soccer
program – and official debut beneath the new lights at Luger Field - was a game
the Zags may look back on knowing that it should have been a tally in the win
column instead of the frustrating 1-1 stalemate it would become.
The Bulldogs dominated the contest from the opening whistle
and created chances at a regular pace throughout the first half only to be
denied several times by Bradley goalkeeper Logan Ketterer, blocked by a
defender or be just off the mark.
It looked like the Zags were going to take the lead in the
34th minute when Christo Michaelson was taken down as he drove through the
middle of the box, but his subsequent penalty to the left post was smothered by
the diving keeper.
Michaelson dragged down in box for pk but Bradley gk stuffs it in 34th pic.twitter.com/9za0uWRax9— Gerald Barnhart (@INWsoccernews) August 27, 2016
After coming up empty in a first half in which they outshot
the visitors 10-4, the Bulldogs wasted little time finally finding the back of
the net in the second period, tallying via Jakob Granlund just a tad over three
minutes in. Colton Cavey drove into the box and slipped it forward to Granlund
for a nice finish from close range.
Gonzaga continued to control the match and outshot Bradley
overwhelmingly again, 10-5, only to see the match go to extra time thanks to a
free kick tally in the 61st minute. A lofted ball from the right
wing was nodded in by Buseese Lwanga for the equalizer.
“I think all of the guys think that as well,” said coach
Einar Thorarinsson after the game about how many the team could have scored. “We
created enough chances to score several goals. We wore ourselves out doing it
in the first half and were lackadaisical in the second half, although we did
score a goal there. In the first half we were all over them. They hung in
there; hung tough and managed to tie it up. I think their keeper came up big.
They had energy with all their subbing they were doing to continually coming at
us.”
“They looked good for the first game, but they are not
happy,” he said of the first outing, but noted things that could be worked on.
“We are creating the chances. We are there in front of goal. We just have to go
finish all those chances. Organization on defense - I thought we were good; and
winning headers. Taking care of their restarts – [Bradley] is a restart team as
you could see. A lot of their chances came from corner kicks or throw-ins so we
dealt with that quite well - except that goal came from a restart. That was
really the only miscue that we had.”
Zags nearly score on back to back corners... First: pic.twitter.com/Fr05S1VGf4— Gerald Barnhart (@INWsoccernews) August 27, 2016
Second of the two Zag corners: pic.twitter.com/GKJjN31uhl— Gerald Barnhart (@INWsoccernews) August 27, 2016
Earlier, in the first half of the doubleheader San Diego
State and University of Illinois-Chicago also battled to a 1-1 stalemate.
Gonzaga returns to action Sunday in a tripleheader. The
action begins with Bradley versus SDSU at noon with the GU men facing UIC at
3:30. It concludes with the Gonzaga women’s team playing host to Washington
State University at 6:00.
INWsn Player of the Game:
Jakob Granlund – The senior was a constant threat during the contest and
creating issues for Bradley in the box the entire match, finishing with six
shots.
