SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The race to the West Coast Conference men's soccer title appears to be wide open. Four teams are within two points of the WCC standings' top spot.
Santa Clara (4-5-0) – 11 time WCC Champs – is one of those schools that should factor into the title chase during the next two months. The Broncos will be well-prepared, with five of their 11 non-conference opponents ranked or receiving votes in the latest NSCAA Top 25.
Two non-conference road matches are up next before league play begins on Oct. 11. The Broncos face cross-town rival San Jose State (2-5-0) Thursday night at 7 p.m. in nearby Spartan Stadium. SCU will be on the road next Tuesday, Oct. 6 to play 9th-ranked Akron (5-2-1).
"We can only look forward; what we control is what we do from here," was the message from Bronco head coach Cameron Rast to his team last week. SCU had struggled with consistency during its recent September homestand, having split six games heading into Friday's rivalry game with No. 20 Cal.
The Broncos responded by playing inspired soccer, coming away with a thrilling home victory. Sophomore forward Carlos Delgadillo put in the game-winner with just six minutes left.
Delgadillo and All-WCC senior goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh continue to turn in exceptional performances this fall and freshman midfielder Brandon Gillingham (pictured) is emerging as one of the WCC's best newcomers. Delgadillo has provided SCU with 9 of the team's 20 points and Gillingham returned from injury to be a key part of the win over Cal.
Both Delgadillo (Andrew P. Hill HS) and Gillingham (Bellarmine College Prep) are homegrown products from San Jose. McIntosh is from nearby Santa Rosa, and had the honor of representing the U.S. on the U-20 Men's National Team.
Santa Clara's talented group will be tested heading into WCC play. The 48-team NCAA tournament field usually allows just one spot for a WCC team – the team that claims the WCC title.
