GeoCoding using SOAP

ok I am trying to be slick and have a script convert addresses into
geocodes for the google maps api. But in order to do so the code
snipets out there show SOAP clients connecting to
http://geocoder.us/service/soap and getting a response back. I am using
the following code with no luck. Can any one please help me?

include("nusoap.php");
$soapclient = new soapclient("http://geocoder.us/service/soap");
$mapData = $soapclient->call("geocode", $address, "", "");
$y = $mapData[0]['lat'];
$x = $mapData[0]['long'];

when I print $x and $y i get nothing.