No. 2 Huskies Win Big Over Gonzaga
SPOKANE, Wash. -- In a season where it continues to get the best shot from each of its opponents, the No. 2 Washington men's soccer team once again answered all the questions against Gonzaga on Saturday night in Spokane.
From the opening whistle, the Huskies seized control of the match. They had a few early chances, including a Charlie Ostrem free kick and Kendall Burks header each hitting the crossbar. Their persistence was rewarded in the 44th minute. Like so many UW goals this season, it came from a set piece. Dylan Teves put in a corner kick to the far post and Kendall Burks did the rest, out-jumping two Bulldog defender to put it in for the opening goal.
GOALLLLL!!!!
Can't Guard Kendall! It's the Set Piece Boys again as Kendall Burks heads home the Dylan Teves corner and the Huskies take a 1-0 lead over Gonzaga!#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/f9ES2x4fvn
— Washington Men's Soccer (@UW_MSoccer) October 17, 2021
Holding a 1-0 lead after the first 45 minutes, the Huskies would build on their 12-2 advantage in shots and were even more dominant in the second half. They would outshoot Gonzaga 13-0 in the second half and add two more goals to cruise to a 3-0 win.
In the 58th minute, Kalani Kossa-Rienzi put a deep ball into the Bulldog defensive area. Charlie Ostrem caught the Gonzaga backline sleeping and was all alone. While his first attempt was saved, he calmly slotted home the rebound for his first goal of the season to double the lead.
GOALLLLL!!
There's Chuck!! It's the first of the season for Charlie Ostrem, who catches the Gonzaga defense sleeping and doubles the Husky lead!#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/o70HjHSDfa
— Washington Men's Soccer (@UW_MSoccer) October 17, 2021
Coming off the bench, Chris Meyers and Gabe Threadgold helped to continue the pressure for Washington. They each collected two shots and were all over the field in the second half. Eventually, they were rewarded on the scoresheet for their work. After Threadgold had a shot in the box blocked by a defender, Meyers was there to slot it home from distance and put the match to bed.
GOOOOAAALLLLL!!!
There's the breakthrough for Chris Meyers! He finally sees a reward for his hard work and gives us a 3-0 lead over Gonzaga!!#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/MZnHzFqBez
— Washington Men's Soccer (@UW_MSoccer) October 17, 2021
With his goal, Meyers became the seventh different Husky to score at least 3 goals this season.
It was also the seventh shutout of the season for Washington, who clinched its sixth straight season with at least 12 wins. In Jamie Clark's tenure as head coach, the team has won at least 12 matches in 10 of his 11 seasons.