Gonzaga Men's Soccer Takes Care of Business in Home Opener with 2-0 Victory Over Oregon Tech
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Geremi Onentia dribbles the ball upfield against CSU Bakersfield on Sep. 21, 2024 at Luger Field in Spokane, WA. Credit: Geremi Onentia/Instagram [/caption]
Gonzaga men’s soccer (2-2-1) got back in the win column Friday night, albeit in an exhibition match against Oregon Tech (0-1-1), a scenario where the Zags had all to lose. But the Bulldogs handled the Owls with ease in their first game of 2025 at Luger Field, tallying their season-high in goals (two) and dominating the stat sheet, holding control of the match for the full 90 minutes.
Oregon Tech was on its heels throughout, as Gonzaga took plenty of shots, maximizing its scoring opportunities. The Zags outshot the Owls 19-3, with 10 of their attempts being on frame. They added 12 corner kicks as GU lived in the attacking third of Oregon Tech from the get-go. Even with the Bulldogs persistently knocking on OIT’s door from kick-off, the Owls held strong in the first half and for the initial 10 minutes in the second. Their keeper, Harvey Bolland, was on point, as he racked up eight saves, with five of them being in the opening 45 minutes.
The Zags finally broke through in the 51st minute, as Talan Rochelle dribbled through the center of the Owls’ defense and inched closer to the net. He dished it ahead to Drew Pedersen, who dumped it off to Robbie Mora in close quarters. Mora was circled by three defenders on Oregon Tech’s backline, but broke away to his right and got just enough space to fire a shot off in traffic in the high back corner of the net.
Six minutes later, Rochelle raced down the right side to keep the ball in play after a ricochet. He got to it and kicked it in the direction of the net that Bolland blocked, but didn’t secure. The ball trickled away from him into no-man’s land, giving opportunity for Geremi Onentia to take a shot right in front of the goal. Just before an Owl defender could slide and disrupt the attempt, Onentia boomed the ball in the top of the net to double the Bulldogs’ lead, celebrating with a backflip to boot.
Rochelle led Gonzaga with five shots in just 51 minutes played, while Pederson was second on the team with three. It was a dormant but productive night for GU keeper Chema Preciado, who logged just a save on the night. Diego Ramirez got some work in the net for the final ten minutes of the match, but didn’t get any real action.
Considering the opponent, it was still a good tune-up and ‘get-right’ game for Gonzaga as the team has two more matches before conference play begins. First up is another home game, as the Zags will host the Washington Huskies on Tuesday, September 18, at 7 PM PT.
