Zags women’s soccer plays in Montana tournament
Gonzaga's Hannah Gray, right, fights for control of the ball with a Creighton player during the Rumble of the Rockies tournament in Missoula, Mont. on Sunday. While Gray did not score, she took four shots.
COURTESY PHOTO/GONZAGA ATHLETICS
MISSOULA, MT — Gonzaga women’s soccer played in the Rumble of the Rockies over the weekend, a tournament hosted at the University of Montana. The Bulldogs faced off against Pittsburgh and Creighton, losing 1-0 and drawing 1-1, respectively.
The tournament and regular season began for Gonzaga on Thursday against Pittsburgh. This was the first meeting between the schools on the pitch, and the Panthers took a 1-0 lead in the 57th minute on a strike by senior Amanda West, with Landy Mertz credited for the assist.
Gonzaga out-shot Pittsburgh 17-16 and held a 10-5 advantage on shots on goal. Erin Healy and Sophia Braun had team-highs in shots with four shots each.
The Zags entered a match against Creighton on Sunday, another first-time opponent. Scoring opened in the 21st minute on a cross from senior Kacy Johnston to sophomore Marissa Garcia, who headed the ball in for Gonzaga’s first goal of the 2022 season. Later on, in the 71st minute, Creighton tied the match at 1-1 on a header by Abigail Santana, assisted by Ariana Mondiri.
Gonzaga once again out-shot their opponent, this time by a 24-11 difference. They also held a 6-4 advantage on shots on goal.
Gonzaga will open their home schedule against Oregon on Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. This will be the third time that the Ducks will head to Luger Field and the first time in more than 15 years. Oregon won its opening game against New Mexico State 2-0 and tied 1-1 to San Francisco.