Sept. 9, 2001
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Junior midfielder and Hermann Trophy Semifinalist Aly Wagner recorded her first career hat trick as the fifth-ranked Santa Clara women's soccer team defeated No. 13 Florida State to close out play at the Nike Wake Forest Invitational this afternoon at Spry Stadium in Winston-Salem.
The Broncos played physically, out shooting FSU 26-5 and out-fouling their opponents 18-9. SCU improve to 4-0 on the year while the Seminoles fall to 2-2.
Santa Clara attacked early in the game and tested Seminole goalkeeper Kerry York. She came up with back-to-back saves within :10 of each other to keep FSU in the game, the second of which was a diving one-handed stab in the 19th minute.
Wagner opened her historic day in the 30th minute when she blasted a shot to the near post that banged off of the frame keeping the contest scoreless. She would only have to wait five more minutes to get on the board, for the Broncos were awarded a free kick just outside the 18-yard box on the left side of the field. Sophomore forward Veronica Zepeda slipped the ball over to Wagner, who blasted a shot to the upper corner at the far post. The shot skimmed the underside of the crossbar and bounced in for a 1-0 lead.
The Broncos almost took a 2-0 lead when a deflected shot ricocheted to freshman forward Leslie Osborne behind the Florida State defense. She fired a point-blank shot from the six-yard box that York was able to corral.
The game remained 1-0 as the teams came out for the second half. Freshman forward Taline Tahmassian took a pass off of the opening kick and proceeded to streak down the field to net SCU's second goal within 15 seconds. The goal, which was the quickest second-half goal ever scored against FSU, came without the Seminoles even touching the ball and extended Santa Clara to a 2-0 advantage.
Florida State narrowed SCU's lead on a 49th-minute goal by Camie Bybee. It marked the first goal Santa Clara has allowed this season.
Wagner continued her attack and was just too much for FSU though as the game wore on. In the 72nd minute, she beat four defenders for another score. Santa Clara finished the game off in the 88th minute when Wagner recorded a hat trick on a penalty kick conversion after an FSU foul in the 18-yard box.
In the final match of the tournament, Portland topped host Wake Forest 2-1 to improve to 3-1 on the season while the Demon Deacons fall to 0-2-1 overall.
The Broncos return to the mission campus and will host two national powers this weekend at Buck Shaw Stadium. A rematch of last year's NCAA Quarterfinal loss to Notre Dame will take place this Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Fighting Irish are currently ranked fourth and are 3-0-1 on the season. No. 12 California will also visit on Sunday at 1 p.m.
