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SMC California Athletics

Saint Mary's College Athletics Gaels
Stephen Dougherty vs Gonzaga
Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
1
Winner Saint Mary's SMC (17-0-1, 6-0-1 WCC)
0
Portland POR (11-3-3, 3-3-1 WCC)
Winner
Saint Mary's SMC
(17-0-1, 6-0-1 WCC)
1
Final
0
Portland POR
(11-3-3, 3-3-1 WCC)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Saint Mary's SMC 1 0 1
Portland POR 0 0 0

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

MSOC | No. 5 Gaels Steer Past No. 15 Pilots 1-0, Remain Unbeaten

The Gaels took down their second ranked opponent of the year with a win over Portland to round out the regular season.

PORTLAND, Ore. — To cap off their greatest regular season in program history, No. 5 Saint Mary's exited Merlo Field the same way they entered: undefeated. The Gaels took down conference rival and also nationally ranked No. 15 Portland in front of their home crowd with a 1-0 score to complete their regular season without a loss at 17-0-1.

The road for the Gaels is not over yet however as the team will begin the NCAA Tournament next week after earning an automatic qualifier with their conference title.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Stephen Dougherty scored the only goal of the game for the Gaels just before the end of the first half. Dougherty's sixth tally of the season came on a free kick from 20 yards out in the 44th minute of the match and was one of two shots of the game for the senior. All six of Dougherty's scores this season have come on set pieces as his first five goals were off penalty kicks.

Saint Mary's didn't generate much offense during the match with only six shots but their defense was able to best the Pilots' offense all night as Portland managed just one shot on goal. Remi Prieur earned his 12th shutout of the season by making only one save. The clean sheet marked the 13th time in 18 matches this year the Gaels' defensive corps shutout their opposition.

The win also represented the second time SMC has knocked off a ranked opponent this season after defeating No. 13 UC Davis on Sept. 22, 1-0. Saint Mary's entered Saturday's contest ranked 11th in RPI.

THOUGHTS FROM ADAM COOPER
  • "I could not be more proud of this team. Tonight was another gritty, hard-fought team performance. We knew what was at stake with this game and the guys went out and performed. Our goal now is to go win a national tournament."
QUICK FACTS
  • With Dougherty's goal, Saint Mary's now has five players with six or more scores this season.
  • The Gaels picked up 22 of a possible 24 points on the road during the regular season (7-0-1).
  • Saturday's match was the first time all year Saint Mary's has been held to single-digit shots.
  • SMC is now 8-0-2 in their past 10 matches against the Pilots.
  • Dating back to last season, the Gaels are undefeated in their last 22 matches (19-0-3).
  • Saint Mary's is the only team in the nation this year to have completed their regular season scheduled without a loss.
UP NEXT: NCAA TOURNAMENT
  • The Gaels will now await their selection into the NCAA Tournament on Monday morning. Further information on seeding and scheduling can be found on SMCGaels.com.
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