WSOC | Gaels Travel to Pacific Northwest This Weekend

Saint Mary's will fly to the PNW for matches against Portland and Gonzaga this weekend.

MORAGA, Calif. — Fresh off a shutout win over Pepperdine, Saint Mary's (6-4-2, 1-0-1 WCC) will travel to the Pacific Northwest for a two-game set against Portland and Gonzaga. The Gaels begin their roadtrip with a 7 p.m. kickoff against the Pilots on Friday followed by a 1 p.m. start against the Bulldogs on Sunday.

Links for live stats and streams for each match can be found by visiting the Gaels' schedule page.

Saint Mary's picked up their first conference win last week in Moraga with a 1-0 showing against Pepperdine. It was the Gaels' first win against the Waves since 2015 and their first home win against Pepperdine since 2001. The Waves won the WCC title and went 8-0-1 in conference play last year with their lone tie also coming against the Gaels.

Two days earlier, the Gaels and Loyola Marymount battled into double overtime and settled for a scoreless draw to open the conference schedule.

SMC is now unbeaten in their last four matches (2-0-2) and have not allowed a goal in their last three. Saint Mary's hasn't lost a match in regulation since their second contest of the year against Cal State Fullerton on Aug. 19 and have gone to overtime seven times this season.

ABOUT PORTLAND
Portland currently owns an 8-5 record and are 1-1 in conference. The Pilots began WCC play with a 4-1 thumping of San Diego on the road before falling to BYU in Provo, 3-0. UP has a 5-2 record at home this season and have outscored their opponents 18-11.

Pilots' sophomore Taryn Ries has scored half of her team's goals with nine and is tied for first in the conference in that category. Ries recorded a hat trick in less than a seven minute span in the Pilots' 4-1 win over USD.

Rachel Lusby has started all 13 matches in goal for UP this season and leads the conference in goals-against average (0.84) and shutouts (6).

Portland holds a 24-5-1 all-time record against the Gaels dating back to 1987, however, Saint Mary's has won the last two meeting between the two teams and have averaged 2.5 goals in those wins.

ABOUT GONZAGA
The Bulldogs presently hold a 6-3-2 record and are also 1-1 in WCC action this year. Before hosting Saint Mary's on Sunday, Gonzaga will play Pacific on Friday at 7 p.m. The Bulldogs most recently defeated San Diego 3-2 in double overtime after falling to BYU in their conference opener.

The Bulldogs own a high-octane offense and average over 16 shots per match. India Jencks paces the Gonzaga attack with a team-leading four goals this year while Sophia Viviano leads the team with 35 shots. Isabel Jones has taken the lion's share of starts in goal for the Bulldogs and has three shutouts and 32 saves in 11 appearances.

Saint Mary's leads the Gaels-Bulldog rivalry at 14-9-2 and was victorious in Moraga last season with a 1-0 win in Moraga. However, SMC has not won back-to-back matches against Gonzaga since 2002-03.

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