There were two very likely things to happen Monday evening at Gonzaga as the Bulldogs played host to the third-ranked Washington Huskies on a night in which they were honoring recently retired Einar Thorarinsson's 23 years with the program.
One - there would be jokes about Einar not saying much... followed, of course, by just that. Two - it was going to be a rough night against a Husky program that now has a 30-1-1 record against the Zags after posting a 3-0 victory.
The Huskies, perhaps additionally motivated by a 3-2 overtime loss at Denver earlier this weekend, came out full speed and jumped in front quickly with an eighth minute goal from Joey Parish.
Scott Menzies scored off a free kick in the 26th and later finished a cross in the 64th on a play started by Blake Bodily (Eagle, ID).
Ben Willis made seven saves for the Bulldogs on the night, some of them spectacular - but, that was only because he faced 23 as Washington dominated the contest and kept him busy throughout.
Thorarinsson came to Gonzaga in January of 1995, and is the all-time program leader in wins with 163. He led GU to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances in 2001 and 2007, and a pair of West Coast Conference titles in 1997 and 1998. Under his watch, the Bulldogs finished in the top five in the league 14 times, including eight WCC finishes in the top three. He was named WCC Coach of the Year on three separate occasions (1996, 1997, and 2005) and coached 22 First Team All-WCC selections, along with three WCC Player of the Year winners.
Among those in attendance and speaking was Brian Ching, who is Thorarinsson's most successful former player. Ching was a former First Team All-Conference selection who went on to become a six-time MLS All-Star, winning three MLS Championships and making over 45 appearances with the U.S. National Team during a stint that included a trip to the 2006 World Cup.
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