Gonzaga Women’s Soccer Falls 1-0 to Wyoming in Back-and-Forth Affair

Squaring off in another close match, Gonzaga women’s soccer (2-4-1) returned to Spokane for its home game in two weeks, taking on Wyoming (4-2) at Luger Field on Thursday.

The pendulum swung constantly throughout the 90 minutes, with both sides having ample opportunities to score, but to no avail for the first 75 minutes. But similar to the Zags’ last game on Sunday against Seattle U, the game-winner came in heartbreaking fashion, as an own goal was GU’s undoing in the 1-0 defeat.

It was otherwise a banner night for both defenses and goalkeepers, who resisted persistent attacks from opposing strikers and forwards for nearly the entire match. That’s what makes this another tough result for Gonzaga, which dropped its second straight game.

Neither team had trouble pushing the ball into the attacking third, but the backlines buckled down as more players clustered around the net, and there were some tremendous saves throughout. Zags keeper Sydney Head put together the best game of her career, with the lone goal on her ledger being a similar set piece that has recently plagued GU’s defense. Head collected five saves, including a couple of athletic parries, playing well enough to notch her first career shoutout. Cowboys’ keeper Haley Bartel, on the other hand, logged her 21st career shutout, saving seven of the Bulldogs’ shots.