> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Gonzaga Turns Up the Heat on Simon Fraser, Gets First Win of 2025 Season - URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/gonzaga-bulldogs-soccer-turns-up-heat-simon-fraser-first-win-2025/ - Published: 2025-08-25T02:55:34.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T05:58:33.000Z - Author: Corbin Smith - Tags: News, Analysis, Gonzaga, Bulldogs, Zags, Katie Benz, Michaela McCollum, Katelyn Rigg, Amelia Severn On a 97-degree day at Luger Field Sunday afternoon, Gonzaga women’s soccer matched their ball pressure to the temperature to snag a 2-1 victory against Simon Fraser, their first win of the new season. The high heat in Spokane couldn’t keep people away from filling the stands, as it was the Zags’ first home game with students back on campus. They surely gave the audience a treat, with constant presence near the opposing net and getting in the grills of the Red Leafs. Since their season opener against Utah, the Bulldogs have likely focused on ball control and maximizing their chances in their set offense in the 10-day stretch between games. After mustering 11 shots total against Utah, the Zags overwhelmed the Red Leafs in terms of offensive opportunities, taking 22 shots and limiting Simon Fraser to just four. Nine of their shots were on goal, along with taking 13 corner kicks in the game. The Bulldogs took their fair share of one-on-one shots, through balls, and headers created by turnovers and being aggressive throughout the game. On the rare occasions where the Red Leafs attempted to push the ball downfield, the Zags were physical in pursuit and impeded passing lanes. There were several awry passes, either out of bounds or off target, as Gonzaga frequently took the ball away by not allowing much separation against their respective matchups. Regardless, junior and captain Katelyn Rigg didn’t appreciate how her team came out in the first half. As dominant as Gonzaga controlled pace, they couldn’t capitalize on the many opportunities they created as Simon Fraser held its own defensively. Rigg talked postgame with the ESPN+ broadcast crew, Sarah Cox and Jamie Council, on how the Zags began the contest. “I think our biggest thing is that we have to come out and be willing to dictate the tempo… I think the first half…it was subpar in that department,” Rigg said. “The competition’s only getting harder…so we need to be able and willing to come out and control the game for the full 90 (minutes).” Even with the Bulldogs getting off 11 shots in the first half, it was the Red Leafs who scored the match’s first goal. Simon Fraser could only muster one shot in the first 45 minutes, but they made the most of it. After a throw-in at 26’, Katelyn Magdalinski kicked it ahead to a cutting Sofia Faremo, who quickly dished it towards Kaiden Sherwood on the backside. Sherwood was left alone and slipped a shot just inside the right goalpost as Zags keeper Michaela McCollum couldn’t shift her feet all the way over. But within the next minute, Gonzaga responded. Miscommunication by the Red Leafs left the 2024 WCC All-Freshmen honoree Amelia Severn alone, allowing her to launch a shot over the leaping arm of Simon Fraser goalie Sarah Loewen and just under the crossbar into the net. Four minutes into the second half, the Zags quickly got the ball into Red Leaf territory and earned a penalty kick. Senior Kylie Jones was tripped in front of the box by Sherwood, prompting a high-percentile shot that was taken by Rigg, who squarely knocked the penalty kick into the net after Loewen guessed the wrong direction. It was a quiet but productive game for McCollum, who recorded two saves, including a huge one in the 80th minute. Simon Fraser’s Kiera Scott got loose in the front of the net after a missed slide tackle, as Sherwood passed it ahead to her from the far side. Scott took an open shot that McCollum read well and stuck her leg out to knock away. And even with the two goals allowed, Loewen tallied six saves on the day for the Red Leafs. Against a Division II opponent, Bulldogs head coach Katie Benz found it in her best interest to get all of her players some run. 22 players on the roster got in the game, with all of them but one logging at least 10 minutes. Five of the six active true freshmen saw game action as well, not including keeper Addison Dye-Blondell. With the opportunities for younger players to gain game experience along with capturing its first victory of the season, it was a productive day for Gonzaga. “It feels so good, it’s so important to get that first W…like it wasn’t our prettiest game by any stretch of the imagination, but we responded so well and it’s a really satisfying feeling,” Rigg said. In the third of five straight home games to open 2025, the Bulldogs will be back at Luger Field on Thursday, August 28, to take on UIC at 7 PM PT.