Sept. 2, 2001
Click Here to listed to Head Coach Jerry Smith talk about playing seven freshman on the field at the same time in tonight's victory over San Jose State.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Junior midfielder Aly Wagner scored two goals and tallied two assists to lead fifth-ranked Santa Clara to an 8-0 defeat against San Jose State tonight at Spartan Stadium.
The Broncos, now 2-0 on the year, handed the Spartans' their worst defeat in the six-game series between the schools and have now outscored San Jose State 24-3 since the teams began playing each other in 1995.
Additionally, the eight goals is the highest score the Broncos have posted since a 7-0 second-round NCAA Tournament victory over UCLA in 1999.
For the second straight match, sophomore forward Veronica Zepeda took a pass from freshman forward Taline Tahmassian to score within the game's opening minutes, this one coming in the third.
The score remained 1-0 through the rest of the half with the Broncos holding San Jose State without a shot.
In fact, the Spartans' only shot of the night was not recorded until the 69th minute by midfielder Kristina Jacob. Santa Clara outshot the Spartans 22 to 1, led by Wagner's seven shots.
Tahmassian posted her first collegiate goal early in the second half, with assists to Zepeda and Wagner. The play was kick-started by freshman forward Leslie Osborne from the midfield, who scored her own goal in the 78th minute.
Wagner scored her two goals midway through the second half, the second a penalty kick that bounced of the crossbar and into the cage.
Junior midfielder Devvyn Hawkins tallied her first goal of the season after she finished off senior Danielle Slaton's shot that had rebounded off the Spartan goalkeeper. Tahmassian added a second goal after beating the keeper on the left side.
The team's eighth score was the result of an own goal.
The Broncos return to the field this weekend at the Nike Wake Forest Invitational in Winston-Salem, N.C. Santa Clara will face the host Demon Deacons, ranked 22nd nationally, on Friday at 4:30 p.m. PT and will close out the tournament against 16th-ranked Florida State on Sunday at 9 a.m. against Florida State.