Box Score
SPOKANE, Wash. --- Portland senior Patrick Jurney connected for the game-winner in the 88th minute to send the Pilots to a 2-1 victory over the Gonzaga Bulldogs in a West Coast Conference men’s soccer match on Friday afternoon. Freshman Michael Nielsen, who also scored for the Pilots, picked up the assist on Jurney’s game-winner.
With the match tied at 1-1 and only a few minutes remaining in regulation, Nielsen tossed a throw-in towards the Gonzaga frame, where GU goalkeeper Scott Barnum appeared to have a clear path to the ball. But the ball slipped through his hands right to a wide-open Jurney, who easily finished from six yards out for his first goal of the season.
Portland then held on for the clutch victory to improve to 6-7-2 overall and 3-4-0 in the WCC. Gonzaga drops to 5-7-2 and to 2-4-1 in the conference.
Portland sophomore goalkeeper Austin Guerrero had another impressive day in net to help keep the Pilots in the game. Guerrero finished with seven saves on 14 GU shots. In the first half, Gonzaga peppered the UP frame with seven shots, with Guerrero coming up with five stops.
Guerrero allowed just one GU goal off of a rebound in the 69th minute. With Portland leading 1-0, Guerrero was able to stop the initial shot from Tye Perdido, but was unable to get in front of the follow from Nick Love. The strike from 12 yards out tied the game at 1-1.
Nielsen scored the game’s first goal in similar fashion in the 58th minute. Nielsen broke the scoreless tie when he capitalized on a rebound from a shot courtesy sophomore Frankie Lopez. Barnum was unable to corral Lopez’s shot, allowing Nielsen to finish from six yards out. It’s Nielsen’s first collegiate goal, while Lopez picks up his second assist on the season.
The first half belonged to the Bulldogs, who outshot the Pilots 7-1 during the game’s first 45 minutes. Two of Guerrero’s first-half saves came on back-to-back Gonzaga shots in the 14th minute. Jurney had Portland’s only shot of the half, an attempt that was wide left in the 45th minute.
Gonzaga finished with a 14-10 edge in shots and a 3-1 advantage in corner kicks. Barnum totaled three saves on the day for the Bulldogs.
The Pilots don’t take the field again until a road match at San Francisco on Friday, Oct. 31. The Pilots and Dons are set to play at 7:00 p.m. at Negoesco Stadium in San Francisco, Calif.