SPOKANE, Wash. — Northwest University men's soccer traveled to Spokane on Sunday, August 30, for an exhibition match against NCAA Division I Gonzaga University at Luger Field. The Eagles fell to the Bulldogs, 7-0, in their final tune-up before the start of the regular season.
Gonzaga opened the scoring in the 23rd minute when Nicolas Golesis found the back of the net off an assist from Drew Pedersen. The Bulldogs added another goal in the 28th minute as Carson Hammond scored off an assist from Dylan Cantafio, giving Gonzaga a 2-0 lead at halftime.
Northwest goalkeeper Bailey Hopkins kept the Eagles in the match throughout the opening half, recording nine saves before halftime. Hopkins finished the exhibition with 11 saves, while Charlie Prtenjaca added two saves in limited second-half action.
The Bulldogs extended their lead in the second half, scoring five times. Damoni McKenna found the net in the 57th minute, followed by two goals from Dashiell Stein. Pedersen converted a penalty kick in the 72nd minute before Stein completed his brace in the 78th minute. Chase Potter added Gonzaga's final goal in the 82nd minute.
The Eagles finished with one shot on the afternoon, with Samuel Brendle recording Northwest's lone shot on goal. His attempt in the 86th minute was saved by Gonzaga goalkeeper Matthew Dovale.
Despite the result, Head Coach Gary McIntosh praised his team's effort following the quick turnaround from Saturday's match and the nearly five-hour trip to Spokane.
"The guys played hard today and gave it everything they had. Coming off a game Saturday, then turning around and driving almost five hours to play again the next day, takes a lot of heart, discipline, and toughness.
"I'm proud of the effort they put forth in some very tough circumstances. Obviously, it would have been nice to keep the score a little closer, but overall, I thought the guys competed well and continued to fight.
"This was another step forward in our preparation for the start of conference play. We'll learn from this game, continue to improve, and keep building together."
The exhibition matchup provided Northwest with another opportunity to prepare for the upcoming regular season and continue building as a team ahead of conference play.
Northwest will return home on Friday, September 11, hosting Simpson University at 3 p.m. PST. The contest will be the Eagles' final non-conference match before the start of Cascade Collegiate Conference play.
