INW Collegiate Recap: Close contests for WSU, Gonzaga in PAC-12, WCC

It was a week of close contests in the West Coast Conference. Six of the seven matches were decided by one goal, including three that finished in overtime. Gonzaga came up on the short side of one overtime match, falling at Loyola Marymount, and was on the wrong side of the game decided by two goals, dropping its match in San Diego. Two games into the conference portion of the campaign, only Santa Clara and Portland remain unbeaten.

The women’s side of the WCC was just as competitive over the weekend with all four conference games and a non-conference contest being decided by a goal or less, including the overtime loss Gonzaga suffered at home versus Saint Mary’s. Portland, which has yet to open conference play, fell narrowly to 10th-ranked San Diego State of the MWC.

In the Pac-12, A goal directly off a corner kick was the only thing keeping Washington State from two shutout performances on the weekend at home against the two schools from Arizona. The loss to the Sun Devils keeps the Cougars mid-table with Stanford, UCLA and California leaping out to commanding leads just five games into the conference campaign.

Week 5 Collegiate INW Best XI – Women

For games through Sunday, September 16. Next week a new feature will debut, giving you an opportunity to select the Players of the Week via Facebook.

INWsoccernews.com WOMEN’S PLAYER OF THE WEEK

F - Cassie Black (Battle Ground, WA) – Eastern Washington :: It was difficult to choose over Montignani’s pair of hat-tricks, but Black was crucial against two quality opponents. She struck for a goal and an assist as the Eagles defeated the University of Idaho Friday and tallied the game-winner in a 2-1 victory against the University of Hawaii Sunday.

WSU, Gonzaga among Pac-12 Networks' broadcast schedule for soccer

The system of Pac-12 Networks, one national and six regional, launching this fall on cable announced over the past two days the upcoming broadcast schedules for men’s and women’s soccer. As a Pac-12 member, the Washington State University women’s program will be featured and both of Gonzaga University’s programs will have one match broadcast courtesy of early non-league matches versus Pac-12 opponents.

The first match carried on the family of Pac-12 channels featuring schools from the Northwest will be the August 24 meeting between Gonzaga University and the University of Washington. It kicks off the 28-game broadcast schedule for Pac-12 men’s soccer that will see 15 other games featuring the Northwest duo of Washington (10 games total) and Oregon State (7 games). Seattle University also will appear once as a non-league opponent, also versus the Huskies.

The women’s 58-game broadcast schedule will kick off in California August 17, two days after the networks’ launch, with Santa Clara playing Stanford. The first games featuring the four Northwest programs – Washington State, Washington, Oregon, Oregon State – are September 14 when Washington State plays Hawaii; Gonzaga faces Oregon State; and Seattle University plays Oregon. Seattle’s game versus Oregon State two days later will also be broadcast.

Gonzaga Women announce 2012 schedule

Gonzaga University announced the 2012 schedule for the women’s soccer team, unveiling a slate that will see them play most of the region’s major universities in the preseason and six 2011 NCAA tournament participants in total.

After kicking off the season at home against the Summit League’s University of South Dakota (1-15-3 overall in 2011), the Bulldogs will play face Washington State, Idaho, Boise State, Washington , Seattle, Oregon State and Oregon along with a trip to Tennessee in the middle to play Austin Peay (9-8-1 overall) and Vanderbilt (8-11-0).