Nov. 24, 2001
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara University women's soccer team advanced to the fouth round of the NCAA Tournament next week with a third round victory over Dartmouth by a score of 2-0 at Buck Shaw Stadium Saturday.
The Broncos scored their first goal when Veronica Zepeda was taken down in the penalty box and awarded a penalty kick. Aly Wagner took the kick for the Broncos and netted her 15 goal of the season at 8:42 of the first half.
Santa Clara (20-2) dominated the remainder of the half, taking 19 of their 25 shots in the first stanza, forcing the Dartmouth (11-5-1) netminder, Julia Shields, to make 10 first half saves. Shields and Anne Marberger, who played between the pipes for the Big Green in the second half, combined for 15 total saves on the day.
Danielle Slaton and the rest of the Santa Clara defense stepped up big in the rain and mud, not allowing a single shot in the first half from Dartmouth, and only one shot in the game. Erin Sharpe made the save for the Broncos before giving way to Alyssa Sobolik who saw her first action on the field in nearly three weeks following a knee injury.
The Broncos put the game out of reach in the 58th minute when Jessica Ballweg scored her fourth goal of the year on a corner kick that was sent by Slaton and headed to her feet by Devvyn Hawkins. Ballweg was no more than five yards outside the goal when she received the pass from Hawkins and slipped it low and under the reach of Marberger.
Santa Clara advances to the fourth round of the NCAA Tournament with the victory, and will host the winner of the Cincinnati/Virginia contest. That match will be held at Buck Shaw Stadium beginning at 1 p.m. next Saturday.