Gonzaga University men’s soccer erupted in the second half, scoring three goals to defeat Sacramento State 3-1 Wednesday night after a scoreless first half.
GU and Sacramento State entered the match with even 3-5-2 records. The Zags had difficulty creating opportunities early, getting outshot 9-3 in the first half. GU goalkeeper Chema Preciado kept the game scoreless through the first 45 minutes, recording two saves in the opening half.
Just over a minute into the second half, GU broke through when Damoni McKenna scored from the right side off an assist from Morgan Olson. The goal gave McKenna his second goal of the season.
Sacramento State responded 10 minutes later, when Zac Giles scored in the 56th minute with his fifth goal of the year to tie the match at 1-1. Adrian Alvarenga and Eli Reyenveld assisted on the goal.
GU regained the lead in the 70th minute when Noah Ervin scored off assists from Michael Divano and Drew Pedersen. Pedersen added an insurance goal on a penalty kick to give the Zags a 3-1 advantage, giving himself his sixth goal of the season.
Both teams finished with 16 shots, but Sacramento State held a 6-5 edge in shots on goal. Preciado finished with five saves, while Sacramento State goalkeeper Lucas Bost recorded two.
Pederson led the Zags with a goal and an assist, while Ervin and McKenna each added a goal. Divano and Olson each recorded an assist. With the victory, GU improved to 4-5-2 on the season.
The Zags return to the pitch Saturday at 7 p.m. in San Diego, California, against San Diego State. It will be GU’s first meeting with the Aztecs as members of the Pac-12. Live stats and updates will be available at gozags.com with a live broadcast available on the Pac-12 YouTube channel.
Daniel Lane is a staff writer.