Oct. 7, 2011

SPOKANE, Wash. - An own goal and an overtime strike by Gonzaga spoiled LMU's near come-from-behind win Friday as the Lions fell 3-2 to the Bulldogs in WCC men's soccer action.

The two goals scored by LMU (2-9-0, 0-3-0) snapped a two-game scoreless streak, but the overtime game-winner by the Bulldogs (3-6-1, 1-2-0) marked the third extra time loss suffered by the Lions this season.

Gonzaga took a 1-0 lead just 1:51 into the match when James Matern connected on a header goal off a corner kick from Greg Carter.

The 1-0 score stood through the balance of the first half before the Lions took over to start the second. John McFarlin's shot three minutes into the half was blocked and two minutes later Phil Da Silva's shot was saved by Gonzaga goalkeeper Ryan Caballero. But at the 52:01 mark, McFarlin and Da Silva teamed up to knot the score at 1-1.

Da Silva took a pass from McFarlin just inside the right corner of box and sent the ball into the far post net for his first goal of the season. Just seven minutes later Da Silva gave LMU a 2-1 lead with a header goal off a corner kick from Logan McDaniel.

Looking to hold on for their first WCC win of the season, the Lions suffered an unlucky bounce in the 77th minute that put the game back in balance. Alec Cutter attempted a shot off a corner kick by Mitchell Weller, but the ball deflected off an LMU defender and into the back of the net, tying the score 2-2.

Da Silva nearly collected a hat trick, and the game-winner, opening overtime with a pair of shots that went just high of the crossbar, but it was Gonzaga's Josh Phillips who put an end to things, collecting a pass from Clark Phillips on the left wing and drilling a shot from the corner of the box.

The Lions finished with an 18-15 shot advantage while the Bulldogs held a 6-2 edge in corner kicks. Jack McCormack made two saves in goal for LMU while Caballero had seven.

Still in the hunt for their first conference win of the season, LMU travels to face Portland on Sunday at 1 p.m.