Gonzaga Women's Soccer Squanders Opportunities in 2-0 Loss to Air Force
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Olivia Lester loads up to kick the ball against Saint Mary’s on October 12, 2024 at Luger Field. Credit: Olivia Lester/Instagram [/caption]
There are a few key indicators of a soccer team’s ability to put pressure on its opposition in relation to its offensive performance. Some of the biggest measures are shots on goal and corner kicks. The more times these instances occur for a team, the probability of it scoring a goal increases. Obviously, there has to be a sense of quality with as many of these chances as possible, but outgunning your opponent in these categories usually translates to a winning formula.
Gonzaga women’s soccer (2-3) finished its game against Air Force (1-3-1) following this blueprint. The Zags outshot the Falcons 17-10 overall and tallied 11 corner kicks to AFO’s three. The majority of this dominance in Air Force territory occurred in the first half as the Bulldogs took 12 of their shots on goal in the first 45 minutes. Eight of their corner kicks were also taken in the first half, while the Falcons didn’t register a single one in the period.
But in the end, those advantages didn’t help Gonzaga on the scoreboard, as Air Force won 2-0 to capture its first victory of the season.
The Bulldogs lived in Falcons territory constantly, setting up seemingly routine opportunities in the attacking third. But Air Force epitomized “bend, don’t break,'“ anchored by their keeper, Kylie McElroy. She totaled seven saves in her 90 minutes of work, including several crucial parries.
The highlights included a barrage of attacks aided by a couple of corner kicks in the middle of the first half — with nearly all of the players on the field in the box — but the Zags couldn’t convert. Another corner kick in the second half perfectly set up a Kylie Jones header in front of the net, which McElroy dove to her left to knock away, with Amelia Severn standing in her line of vision. McElroy’s other 10 teammates constricted near the box frequently, surrounding her, limiting the windows for Gonzaga to get off clear shots. Outside of McElroy’s saves, there were several attempts on goals that were blocked and impeded by the bodies of AFO defenders.
The Falcons’ first real shot on goal occurred in the 11th minute, and it was successful. After an errant pass, Air Force defender Annika Jost dumped the ball off to Raine Komata, who kicked it ahead to Kendall Rippley. Rippley passed it towards the middle of the field through traffic to Jost, who was running behind but had a clear lane. Jost tapped the ball towards the left corner of the net with her left foot, towards the Zags keeper, Michaela McCollum. McCollum shifted more and more to the right as Jost crept closer and was caught off balance as the shot came in, out of reach of her outstretched leg.
10 minutes later, a diagonal ball was kicked to Rippley, who tried to set up a shot for AJ Heap. The pass was too far out in front, and McCollum came out of the net, attempting to smother it. But she bobbled the ball as she came to her knees, allowing Heap to kick it away from her grasp and towards an open net. But the ball trickled too far away, and Heap didn’t have full control quick enough to get a shot off in front of the goal.
At 32’, one of the Bulldogs’ leading scorers, Amelia Severn, tried to dribble around a defender in the attacking third. She drew another Falcon’s attention, who attempted to steal the ball, tripping Severn in the process, who had taken a few steps in the box. It drew a penalty kick that Severn pleaded with her bench to take. The opportunity was instead given to junior Olivia Lester, but her shot was blocked by McElroy, who dove to her left as the ball bounced off her momentarily before she corralled it, preventing a rebound. It was the second straight missed penalty kick for Gonzaga, after Katelyn Rigg was blocked as well in the team’s last match against Washington.
It was a more dormant second half as Air Force resisted some of the ball pressure that was created by the Bulldogs in the first half. In the final 45 minutes, they matched the Zags in corner kicks (three) and outshot them 7-5. McCollum had four saves in the game, three of them in the second half.
The Falcons nailed the dagger in the 83rd minute, courtesy of Chase Borntreger. She took the ball up the left side before quickly dashing inside, across her defender’s face, and stepping into the box. Borntreger then fired a bending shot that banged off the right crossbar and in. McCollum had no chance to save it as she was positioned in the middle of the net.
Severn and Rigg were kept in check for the second consecutive game, as the Zags continue to tweak their offensive game plan. Different formations and lineups are being tested by head coach Katie Benz to spark more effective scoring opportunities, especially for her best players. The team has been shut out in two straight games, both at home. Next up, the Bulldogs look to avoid a three-game losing streak as they start a four-game road trip, beginning with the Utah Valley Wolverines (2-2-1) on Monday, September 8 at 4:30 PM PT.
