SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Coming off of a 1-1 draw against Loyola Marymount on Sunday for Senior Day, the Santa Clara men's soccer team wraps up the 2014 regular season with its final two matches this week. The Broncos (6-7-4, 2-2-1 WCC) travel just a short distance to Bay Area rival Saint Mary's on Thurs., Nov. 13 at 2 p.m. Then, the team heads into San Francisco, Calif. on Sat., Nov. 15 to take on another local opponent, USF, at 7 p.m.
Fans can watch both matches this weekend live on TheW.tv for free. Live stats will also be available via SMCGaels.com and USFDons.com.
"Both of the final opponents have a shot at second place, as do we," said Santa Clara head coach Cameron Rast. "Our approach doesn't really change much. It's still about going out, performing well and playing to win. We are still searching to find some real consistency in our plays, real quality and key moments of the game where we need to be really good. These games will decide how we want to represent ourselves and our school."
These final two matches will set the tone for next season. "There is a lot to play for in terms of a good strong finish, placing second in conference, which helps our athletic department, and the recognition," said Rast. "There is a lot of pride that still goes into this. Hopefully, we will play well in these tough games, but they are ones we can win.
Thursday's match was rescheduled from its original date of Nov. 2 after the Broncos' contest at Pacific on Oct. 31 was postponed due to unplayable field conditions in Stockton. Santa Clara went on to beat Pacific, 4-1, two nights later.
Most recently, the Broncos fell to WCC Champion San Diego on Friday night. The Toreros clinched the league title after their 2-1 win over USF on Sunday afternoon. Then on Sunday, the Broncos played their final game in Buck Shaw for the 2014 season where they tied LMU, 1-1, on Senior Day. Steve Eneme's late goal in the 87th minute sent the match into overtime.
Newcomer Carlos Delgadillo leads the team with four goals, five assists and 13 points on the season. He had the first goal against Portland on Sunday, Oct. 19 off of Ryan Masch's free kick, which was featured as the No. 3 Top Play of the Week for The W.tv on Oct. 21. Hailing from San Jose, Calif., Delgadillo records 10 shots on goal with a .500 shots on goal percentage. Max Ornstil adds to the Broncos' offensive force with three goals and six points in his junior season. Six other Broncos tally goals this year.
With Benjamin Kucera and Valdemar Andersen holding down the back line, the Bronco defense has shut out opponents four times and limits them to a .417 shots on goal percentage. Carl Carrwik had his fourth start this season as the Santa Clara goalkeeper against LMU. He has collected 12 saves with a .571 save percentage after four matches in goal. Kendall McIntosh, the starting keeper for 13 games, will sit out for the rest of season due to injury.
Scouting the Gaels
Santa Clara has a long history with Saint Mary's (10-5-2, 3-2 WCC) dating back to 1968 when the first meeting between the two soccer programs commenced. The Broncos lead the all-time record against the Gaels, 40-6-6, and trumped them twice during the 2013 season.
Saint Mary's has defeated two ranked teams this season with the first being a big win over then-No. 4 Washington on Sept. 7 by a score of 2-1 in overtime. Then on Sept. 24, the Gaels defeated then-No. 24 Florida Gulf Coast, 1-0. Most recently, they topped LMU, 2-0, in Los Angeles, Calif. last Sunday.
The Gaels have lost just three times in their last 12 matches, outscoring opponents 25-21 and posting shutouts in four of their last seven games. The team is led by Michael Semenza, who tallies four goals and four assists for 12 points in his senior season. Sophomore Carlo Eikani has scored three times for his team. 11 other Saint Mary's players have added to the goal count for the Gaels.
This past weekend, Saint Mary's trumped Gonzaga at home, 2-0, and then defeated Portland on the road, 3-1.
Scouting the Dons
Earlier this season, the Broncos and the Dons (9-6-2, 3-2 WCC) came to a 1-1 draw after double overtime on Oct. 12. Matt Steurer was able to tie it up in the 84th minute and send the game into overtime. Santa Clara is 25-32-10 against San Francisco with the first meeting coming in 1967. Last season, the two Bay Area teams ended in a 2-1 win for the Broncos on Nov. 8, 2013.
"We are looking forward to this test because they were a team that was very much in the mix until last week," said Rast. "It's always a great rivalry match; it has been for so many years. And it's just a good way to finish the season and press on, so we'll look to finish strong for sure."
San Francisco is coming off of a recent 2-1 loss to San Diego last weekend where the Dons also fell to Loyola Marymount, 2-1. USF's overall record stands at 9-6-2 with three wins over ranked opponents, such as then-No. 7 Cal, then-No. 21 Wisconsin and then-No. 24 Florida Gulf Coast. They have outscored opponents 24-20 and post an average of 14.2 shots per game to their competitors' 11.8 shots per game.
Danny Kirkland, who has six goals and 14 points on the season, leads the Dons. Kirkland is credited with five game winners for the Dons this year. Migual Aguilar who has four goals and 11 points for his team. The senior from Sacramento, Calif. has one game-winner under his belt this season and had attempted 39 shots this season. Goalkeeper Chase Hauser has started all 17 games for the Dons and tallies 63 saves on the season for a .759 save percentage.
GAME NOTES – Thurs., Nov. 13, 2014
Santa Clara vs. Saint Mary's in Moraga, Calif. @ 2 p.m. (Saint Mary's Stadium)
GAME NOTES – Sat., Nov. 15, 2014
Santa Clara vs. San Francisco in San Francisco, Calif. @ 7 p.m. (Negoesco Stadium)
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