Defensive Struggles Continue For Gonzaga Women's Soccer in Fifth Straight Defeat
Lauren Chin prepares for a throw-in for Gonzaga. Credit: Lauren Chin/Instagram
Katie Benz’s return to Missoula surely didn’t go as planned, as Gonzaga women’s soccer (2-6) lost 4-0 to Montana (5-2-1) on Thursday.
The former Grizzlies assistant coach and now Bulldogs head coach watched her team drop its fifth match in a row, as the team heads into WCC play about as cold as possible. On the other hand, Montana won its fourth consecutive game. The Zags allowed more than one goal in five of their eight games in the non-conference slate, and as was the case for many of the matchups in this stretch, they struggled defensively.
It was a promising start for the Bulldogs as they created corner kicks in each of the first two minutes to open the matchup. But they couldn’t get a true shot on the chances, which was synonymous with the offense for much of the first half and a continued trend for Gonzaga in recent games. Montana limited them to just two shots during the first 45 minutes, with one of them being on frame. Overall, the Grizzlies outshot GU 18-6 and controlled the pace of the match throughout, while bearing down when the Zags gained some momentum the other way.
For the second straight game, the GU defense was preyed upon by experienced players on the opposition. The Grizzlies’ senior midfielder Chloe Seelhoff scored the first goal of the match in the 17th minute after being set up beautifully near the post. Lucie Rokos took the ball past midfield and down the right end line, hesitating before accelerating down the field, causing defender Avery O’Donnell to fall in the process. Rokos then served it back across the field to an open Seelhoff on a bounce pass, who took a shot with her instep without knocking it down in front of her. The ball caromed off her foot with some English, and although Bulldogs keeper Michaela McCollum managed to get a hand on it, it still landed in the back corner of the net.
The two almost teamed up a couple of minutes later, as Rokos sent a through ball to Seelhoff in the midst of traffic. But her shot was blocked by Taylor Gentry, and she was called for offside on the sequence. With ten minutes to go in the period, GU tried to push the ball back the other direction after the Grizzlies invaded the attacking third. Montana’s Emma Widmor wrestled around Bulldogs defenders for the ball before finding a wide-open Maddie Ditta from about 20 yards out. Ditta had time to set up a left-footed strike into the right side of the goal past a diving McCollum and double the Grizzlies’ lead.
The Zags got more scoring opportunities in the second half, including five shots on goal. But they were denied by Montana keeper Ashlyn Dvorak, who racked up six saves in the net. She aggressively pursued the ball when it was in her vicinity, jumping and diving throughout in her shutout performance. Her highlight was at 66’ when Katelyn Rigg received a through ball down the right end line. Needing to race for it, Rigg didn’t have anyone to beat and aimed it for the far post. But Dvorak went into a split, just clipping the ball with her right leg before falling on the ricochet.
In the 70th minute, the Grizzlies’ Lydia Robertson took the ball through traffic and lofted it perfectly over McCollum, who couldn’t get a hand on it even with a leaping outstretched arm. The biggest indictment on the GU defense was in the waning minutes when Seelhoff flipped the ball into the box at 88’. The pass seemingly was aimed for Gonzaga defender Lauren Chin, who was running with the intended recipient, Taija Anderson. Chin inadvertently knocked the ball off the top crossbar and into the net, as her distraught expression after the play summed up the game and the last several weeks for her squad.
The Zags certainly ramped up the competition in their eight games before WCC action, including matchups against No. 14 TCU, as well as Washington and Utah Valley, who finished in the top 100 of the most recent Rating Percentage Index update. But there are troubling signs to watch, most notably a drought of getting their playmakers involved offensively. After hot starts to the season from Rigg and Amelia Severn, opposing defenses have stifled Gonzaga’s duo, limiting their ability to get free and create chances in space. Two of Rigg’s three goals have come on penalty kicks, and in general, Gonzaga has been dominated in ball possession, preceding the issue of maximizing their chances when they do get them.
The other glaring issue is the connection between the Bulldogs’ backline and McCollum, as there have been several instances of miscommunication, breakdowns, and blunders leading to preventable goals being scored. McCollum’s two goals allowed per game and .667 save percentage are the third-worst marks in the conference, but those numbers don’t fall squarely on her shoulders. GU can’t beat itself when opposing teams have it backed up, especially when the team’s offense isn’t clicking with regularity.
WCC play will begin on Wednesday, September 24, for the Zags, as they will return to Luger Field after a three-game road trip for a matchup with Saint Mary’s. The Gaels have won five in a row, as the first game of conference play for Gonzaga will be a task to once again stop a hot team, while attempting to get back on track in its own right.
