Nov. 7, 2010

Box Score

SPOKANE, Wash. - LMU roared into a tie atop the West Coast Conference standings, overcoming a two-goal deficit for a 3-2 victory at Gonzaga on Sunday. Goals 48 seconds apart from junior Logan McDaniel and sophomore David Kucera pulled the Lions (11-5-2, 7-2-1 WCC) level before senior Vincent Ocampo won it in the 76th minute. The victory moves the Lions to 22 points, level with Santa Clara with two matches remaining.

After overcoming an early 1-0 deficit in Friday's crucial 3-1 victory at Portland, the Lions again found themselves trailing before showing their resilience for their first season sweep of Gonzaga since 2006. It was LMU's first away weekend sweep of Portland and Gonzaga since 2003 and completes the program's first-ever four-game season sweep of the Pacific Northwest schools since the WCC changed to a double round-robin format in 2004. The league scoring leaders, LMU scored three goals in each of its four matches against Portland and Gonzaga.

Two goals in the opening 25 minutes from the Bulldogs (4-14-0, 1-10-0 WCC) put the Lions in an early hole. Nick Hamer fired the hosts in front 10 minutes in when a through-ball made its way to LMU redshirt junior goalkeeper Jack McCormack but the goalie couldn't control it. Hamer followed with a shot that McCormack saved, only for the rebound to again fall to Hamer to put away.

Fifteen minutes later, it was 2-0 Gonzaga as Josh Phillips' cross from the left to right found Philippe Garre, who sent a one-time pass to Collin Harrison. From 10 yards out, Harrison finished past McCormack.

There was still plenty of time for the Lions to strike back and when they did, they it quickly and efficiently. Five minutes before the break, junior Kyle Johanson fed junior Logan McDaniel on the right wing and McDaniel struck a low shot from 35 yards out. With lots of traffic in front of the net, the ball skipped through the bodies and GU goalie Ryan Caballero never flinched as it settled into the net. It was McDaniel's second goal of the season, with both coming this weekend.

Just 48 seconds after cutting the GU in half, LMU was level through an unlikely source in Kucera. After entering the game as a striker in the 38th minute for his fourth game action of the season, the converted defender latched on to a pass from junior Artur Jozkowicz and fired a hard shot at Cabellero. The pace of the shot seemed to handcuff the goalie, who tried for the catch save on an angle, only for the ball to squirt between his arms and body and into the net for Kucera's first career goal.

Hamer almost had his second goal of the match late in the first half when he dribbled in from the left wing. His hard shot was deflected but McCormack was there to push it away for the corner.

With a renewed vigor and the game tied at the half, LMU came out of the break looking for the win. They would get it with 14 minutes remaining from the senior Ocampo's first goal of the season. Johanson's initial shot from 12 yards out was saved by Caballero but rebounded to the top of the six-yard box, where Ocampo stabbed it home to put the Lions in front.

Gonzaga had one last attack in them and Mitchell Weller nearly drew the Bulldogs even in the 86th minute but his one-time shot off a cross was charged down and cleared by the LMU defense.

McCormack finished with five saves to earn the victory for the Lions. Caballero stopped three for the Bulldogs.

The win pushes LMU to 22 points and gives them seven wins in conference play - the program's second-highest total in its 22-year history in the WCC. With two matches remaining in the regular season, the race is tight between the Lions and Broncos, who are level on points although Santa Clara holds the tiebreaker edge by virtue of a win over LMU on October 31. Saint Mary's and Portland are both four points back in a tie for third before they head out on the road to face the league leaders.

Both LMU and Santa Clara close out the regular season at home, with the Broncos hosting Portland on Friday and Gonzaga on Sunday. The Lions will host Saint Mary's at a new time of 2:30 p.m. on Friday before welcoming in San Francisco at noon on Sunday for Senior Day.