have a Google Map V3, can't update map.setCenter from user input

Question

I'm new at this, but I have a Google V3 map that loads from the user's W3C browser geocode info, and I pull country, state, and city from the geocode object and update input boxes. If the user enters a street address, I want to geocode it via Google and change map.setCenter and setZoom, and display the updated map. When that works, I want to add a marker and infowindow. Despite hours of research and trials, I can't get the geocode and update to work. The Developer Tool in Chrome seems to indicate that execution ceases/fails at the geocoder.geocode line that is indicated in bold below. Here's relevant code.

var map, geocoder, marker, infowindow; //global variables

function initializeMap() {
// Try W3C Geolocation to geolocate desktop user
//initialize Google map, geolocate desktop user, and display after page loads
//find country, state, and city for the user's location  -  this all works
}
window.onload = initializeMap;

//change the Google Map after a user enters a street address
$("#streetAddress").blur(function() {
    //if state, city and street address locations are present
if ( $(this).val().length > 0 && $("#state").val().length > 0 && $("#city3").val().length > 0  ) {
    var gAddress =  [$(this).val() + ", " + $("#city3").val() + ", " + $("#state").val()] ;
    //get coordinates of this address
    //if no geocode object exists, create one
    if (!geocoder) {
    geocoder = new google.maps.Geocoder(); //create Geocoder object else use existing one from initializeMap() ?
    }       
    //create a GeocoderRequest object with user's street address
    var geoCoderRequest = {address:  gAddress} 
    //make a Geocoder request
    geocoder.geocode( geoCoderRequest, function(results, status) {  **//this line fails**
    //check if status is OK
            if ( status === google.maps.GeocoderStatus.OK) {
            //update center of existing map on location returned for this address
            map.setCenter(results[0].geometry.location);
            map.setZoom(14);
            }   
    });         
    } else {
            return; //no action if gAddress is incomplete
        }
});