Gonzaga Women's Soccer Allows Last Minute Goal in Heartbreaking Loss to Saint Mary's

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Samantha Snorsky pushes the ball downfield against Simon Fraser at Luger Feld on Aug. 24, 2025. Credit: Gonzaga Athletics/Instagram [/caption]

There is no better way to kick off conference play than two rivals battling it out. Stakes were raised even higher as the matchup between Gonzaga women’s soccer (2-7, 0-1) and Saint Mary’s (6-1-1, 1-0) would be the last with both programs being in the WCC.

So considering the stakes, there could be no better closing chapter to the storied history of the Zags and the Gaels than a last-minute victory to break a scoreless tie. And with 30 seconds remaining in the contest, it was unfortunately Saint Mary’s who earned the last laugh.

It was about as textbook a rivalry match as you could want. There was plenty of physicality, close calls with shots on goal, and a thrilling finish that left one side elated while leaving the other heartbroken.

As the game clock struck 89:30, Gaels forward Sydney Middaugh crossed a pass to Brooklyn Smith after a throw-in. Approaching the left side of the box, Smith corralled the ball with Bulldogs defender Avery O’Donnell closing in on her. Smith collected it for a second before shooting the ball with her left foot past O’Donnell and into the net, just inside the right post and out of the reach of a diving Michaela McCollum, the Zags’ keeper.

It was an untimely breakdown similar to those that have plagued GU over the last three weeks. But for 99 percent of the game, Gonzaga played exceptional defense. SMC got 13 shots off – one more than the Bulldogs – but only three were on frame.  On the backline, it was Lauren Chin who was resilient in her efforts to deny the Gaels’ attempts to score. It was a positive sign for the Zags after the senior defender’s own goal at the end of the team’s last match against Montana.

Early on in the contest, Chin defended Saint Mary’s Ashlyn Vaughn down the right end line on two occasions. Vaughn did get a crossfire off in front of the net on one of the instances, but due to Chin’s coverage, the pass had too much English for a Gael to hit it squarely. Throughout the game, Chin and Middaugh were matched up, as there was plenty of contact when the two were in close quarters, including Middaugh pushing Chin in the back after a collision. Their interactions were the highlight of the 19 fouls committed during the match.

Both defenses played well in the first half, as even with both sides getting the ball in enemy territory a fair amount, real scoring chances were few and far between. But the Bulldogs really got their offense going in the final 45 minutes, as 10 of their 12 shots were fired in the second half. A good portion of GU’s shots were fairly open as well, but they were off-kilter with their attempts.

An array of quick passes in the 52nd minute led to Amelia Severn dumping it off to Alexis Parker, who was ahead of the pack, but she put too much mustard on her shot. Fifteen minutes later, Samantha Snorsky got free down the left end line and, as she cut near the goal, passed it to an open Severn in front of the net. But the pass was slightly behind Severn, so she couldn’t hit the ball cleanly, and it tailed to the right and out of play. Not even five minutes after that, Shila Rasoul got a loose ball the other way and knocked it past the diving keeper of the Gaels, Kate Plachy, but it was wide right again.

McCollum recorded two saves on the night, but they were both clutch. With less than three minutes to go in the first half, Middaugh worked her way around the box and fired a shot on goal. The ball ricocheted off Kylie Jones and headed for the net, but McCollum stayed squared and stopped it with her legs, finishing in a ‘patty-cake’ position. And at 83’, she reeled the ball in after a set piece where it took a funky bounce. Save for the final-minute fiasco, it was a solid bounce-back performance for the Zags’ keeper.

It was the sixth straight shutout for Plachy, who logged five saves in the sixth consecutive victory for Saint Mary’s. Gonzaga is headed in the other direction, now dropping its sixth in a row. The Bulldogs will look to snap their skid as they will travel back home to Spokane to face San Diego (3-0-5, 0-0-1) on Saturday, September 27, at 6 PM PT.