OSU Falls to #25 Gonzaga, 2-1, in Season Opener

The Beavers won the first 11 meetings in the series, the Bulldogs have now been victorious in two straight.

Salem-News.com

PULLMAN, Wash. - Junior forward Whitney Goodell’s goal in the 17th minute got the 2006 season off to a good start for the Oregon State women’s soccer team, but Gonzaga rallied for a 2-1 victory at the Washington State Cougar Classic on Friday afternoon.

Gonzaga, a 2005 NCAA Tournament team, is ranked #25 nationally by Soccer Buzz.

Goodell (Concord, CA./College Park HS) put the Beavers ahead 1-0 on a shot from about 15 yards away on the left side.

However, Gonzaga’s Nanda McCormick tied the game in the 30th minute, and McCormick then assisted on Lacey Castleberry’s game-winner in the 61st minute.

“I think overall, we just weren’t very sharp,” OSU Coach Steve Fennah said. “We had some opportunities here and there, but we didn’t connect as well as we needed to with our passes. We didn’t do a very good job closing down defensively on their goals. The key now is to bounce back and get a win on Sunday.”

The Beavers were outshot, 17-8.

It’s the first time since 2000 that OSU has lost its season opener (4-0-1 in the previous five).

OSU next plays UNLV, another 2005 NCAA Tournament team, on Sunday at 11 AM in Pullman.

OSU 1-0---1

GONZ 1-1---2

Goals: Whitney Goodell, OSU, 16:37; Nanda McCormick, GONZ, 29:18; Lacey Castleberry (Nanda McCormick), GONZ, 60:55.

Shots: OSU 8, GONZ 17 Corner Kicks: OSU 5, GONZ 5 Fouls: OSU 11, GONZ 8 Saves: OSU 5, GONZ 4.

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