SPOKANE, Wash. – If not for a heroic effort from junior goalkeeper Jeremy Smith, (19) University of Providence would have lost its season opener to unranked Gonzaga University. Smith faced 37 shots and only 7 made it to the net as UP won 8-7 in Spokane.
 
None of Smith's many saves were bigger than the final 2. UP's 1-goal lead last for the last 3:04 of the game and in the final minute, the Zags got 2 quality looks on net.  With just around 1 minute left, a failed Argo clear gave the Bulldogs an uncontested look at the net from the top of the crease, but Smith read the placement of the finish and made the save.
 
Then, with the clock almost at zero, the Zags transitioned off of a UP turnover and got one last shot from fairly close. The ball was placed low on the left side, but Smith was able to get his foot in the way and the final buzzer sounded as the ball rolled out of the crease.
 
His saves then and throughout the game, covered up a slew of mistakes from an Argo team that had even practiced on a full field before the game started. Sloppy play, including to many penalties, turnovers, and miscommunications, were manifestations of that lack of that inexperience and it often cost UP chances of pulling away in the game.
 
Gonzaga was first to score, but junior attack Chase Clark score 2 straight to put the Argos on top by the time the first quarter ended. The entire first half consisted of Gonzaga possession the ball but failing to score, and the Argos quickly losing the ball unless Clark went on an individual scoring effort.
 
By the time halftime came around, UP led 4-1 with Clark scoring all of the team's goals.
 
The second half followed a similar pattern, only it was a different Argo that started to score and Gonzaga started to finish. In the third quarter, the Bulldogs outscored UP 4-2 with both of the Argo's goals coming from senior attack Josh Smith.
 
Smith scored again at the start of the fourth, but Gonzaga answered back. With just under 9 minutes to go, Clark got his fifth goal of the game to put the Argos ahead by 2, but despite winning 4 of the last 5 faceoffs, UP failed to kill the clock and with just under four minutes, the game went back to a 1 goal margin again.
 
After the first of the two last minute saves from Smith, UP needed a clear to kill the clock and Clark and UP Head Coach Fred Boekel combined for a brilliant sequence. With time running out on the clear and needed to get the ball out of the attacking third, freshman defender Tommy West dumped the ball deep down the right sideline.
 
Clark and a Zags defender raced to get to the ball before it reached the line and Clark got there first but while scooping up the groundball, was hit from behind, sending him out of bounds. Trying to buy time, the junior tapped his toes to stay in bounds and right before losing his balance, Boekel called a timeout to keep his team in possession of the ball.
 
After the timeout, UP successfully killed off most of the remaining time but a turnover with about 10 seconds left gave the ball back to Gonzaga for the final chance that Smith saved.
 
In the end, Clark finished the game with 5 goals and Smith with 3. The win was UP's first time beating Gonzaga and gives the team a crucial conference win in the PNCLL.
 
UP's next opponent will be Utah State University on March 16 at 6 p.m. in Logan, Utah.