The Gonzaga men's basketball team was one of the big underdog stories of the NCAA Tournament. And Sunday, Gonzaga filled a similar giant-killer role, upsetting the No. 6 Virginia men's soccer team by a 3-2 margin.
"This is by far the biggest win in Gonzaga history," Bulldog coach Einar Thorarinsson said.
With an ominous blanket of clouds over Klockner Stadium, the game got off to a feverish start with both teams trading close scoring chances.
Second-year forward Sheldon Barnes struck first at the 12:08 mark, taking the ball along the Bulldog end line, eluding several defenders and planting the ball in the back of the net for a 1-0 Cavalier advantage.
Three minutes later Virginia forward Ryan Gibbs' shot caromed off the post. The miss created an opportunity for Gonzaga to counterattack. Only seconds after Gibbs' near miss, Bulldog Jason Kuska took the ball on a breakaway and netted the tying goal at 16:23 in the first.
"The game went from easily being two-nothing Virginia to us losing the game," Cav coach George Gelnovatch said.
Gonzaga caught the Cav defenders flat-footed in the first, launching an unexpected offensive storm.
"Our individual work by the forwards was key," Thorarinsson said, "On the first goal [Kuska] dribbled from the back, all the way up, that was a great individual effort."
The play slowed down and became more physical as a downpour ensued right before halftime. The rain subsided to begin the second half, but the Bulldogs began their own downpour.
Seven minutes into the second, Mike Thompson took a pass from Kuska and put the ball past Cavalier keeper Kyle Singer. Then, after a header from Barnes sailed over the crossbar, Gonzaga's quick strike attack hit again when Bulldog midfielder Alika Cosner gave his team a 3-1 advantage at 65:35.
"On every counter they made us pay," Gelnovatch said.
"It's not that they played better than us, they just ended up putting three goals in on us," midfielder Ryan Trout said. "I think we needed to play with a little more heart."
Following their third tally, the Bulldogs retreated into their 18-yard box, in an effort to preserve their victory. Curtis Bush, who was substituted in by Virginia in the second half, had two near misses as the Cavaliers applied heavy pressure on Gonzaga keeper Chad Beadel. Steve Totten received a feed from Trout and beat Beadel with 10 seconds remaining in the match, closing the gap to 3-2.
However, the goal was little consolation.
"We didn't have a lot of character today, it wasn't typical of a Virginia team," Gelnovatch said. "Our inexperience and youth really showed. We just didn't play to the caliber that Virginia is capable of."
The game came on the heels of a hard-fought 4-3 Cavalier overtime victory Friday night over Seton Hall. Totten's penalty kick proved to be the difference in the contest. Despite the loss, the Pirates claimed the title of the Coca-Cola Classic Tournament on the basis of their goal differential.
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