Men's Soccer Heads to Akron for NCAA Tournament First Round

THE TEAMS
Santa Clara (11-1-4, 5-0-2 WCC) vs. Akron (9-5-3, 2-3-1 MAC)

MATCH INFO
When: Thursday, Nov. 18 at 4 p.m. PT
Where: FirstEnergy Stadium
Live Stats: NCAA.com
Video ($): ESPN+

NCAA Tournament Bracket

SERIES HISTORY
Santa Clara is 1-1-0 all-time against Akron with the first meeting coming in 1992 that the Broncos won 4-2 in overtime as part of the Women's Federal Savings Bank Classic in Cleveland, Ohio. The two schools last squared off in 2015 where the Zips came up on top 2-0 on their home field.  

NOTES

• Santa Clara is making its 21st appearance overall in the NCAA Tournament and the first since 2015.   
• Santa Clara won its 13th WCC Championship in the penultimate game of the season, beating NCAA qualifier Portland 3-1 (Nov. 6).  
• The Broncos finished the WCC season undefeated for the fourth time in program history (1989: 4-0-1, 1994: 5-0-1, 2007: 10-0-2 & 2021: 5-0-2).
• The Broncos (11-1-4) finished the regular season with their highest winning percentage (.813) since 2004 when they were 16-2-4 (.818).  
• Santa Clara has won 14 of its last 19 games dating back to the spring season.  The Broncos are 14-1-4 during that span and are unbeaten in the last 12 contests (8-0-4). 
• The lone loss this season was at then No. 2-ranked Georgetown, 1-0. 
• Forward Oladayo Thomas led the West Coast Conference in points (24), goals (nine) and tied for first in shots (51).  He also tied for second in assists with six.
• Thomas logged a point in six-straight games (four goals & four assists during the span), tied for the third longest streak in Bronco history alongside Paul Bravo in 1989, before it was snapped against San Diego.
• Midfielder Javier Ruiz Duran led the WCC with nine assists and was fifth in points (15).
• Ruiz Duran has tallied an assist in five straight games and in six of the last seven matches he's appeared in.  
• Seven different Bronco player has scored the game-winning goal this fall.  Thomas has scored three game winners while Ruiz Duran and Joshua Dabora have scored two.  
• Forward Joshua Dabora has five goals and two assists in the last seven games he's appeared in and is tied for fifth in the WCC in goals. 
• The Broncos have conceded just three goals in the first half all season. Those came against Pacific, San Diego and Gonzaga.  
• Santa Clara has been to 21 NCAA Tournaments, five College Cups (1989, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2003) and won one National Championship (1989).
• The Broncos have won the West Coast Conference 13 times (1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2015, 2021).
• Head coach Cam Rast is in his 20th year as the head coach. He owns a 189-135-55 career record and is Santa Clara men's soccer's winningest coach.  A Santa Clara University alumnus, Rast has led his alma mater to eight NCAA tournaments and six West Coast Conference Championships since taking over the Bronco men's soccer program in 2002. A former All-America player on Santa Clara's National Championship team of 1989 and U.S. Olympic Team captain in 1992, Rast spent eight seasons as an assistant coach at SCU from 1994-2001.

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