Sept. 6, 2002
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - The Santa Clara University women's soccer team earned its first win of the season--and its first-ever in South Bend--with a 4-0 victory over sixth-ranked Notre Dame at Alumni Field this evening. The match was part of the Notre Dame Classic, presented by Saint Andrews Products. No. 19 Portland topped 13th-ranked Clemson 2-0 in the opening contest.
The Broncos, ranked 10th, even their season record to 1-1, while the Fighting Irish takes its worst home loss in program history and moves to 2-1. Santa Clara, now 3-4 in the all-time series against ND, had not won in South Bend in its first three tries, dating back to 1995.
The match also marked only the second time in the last 95 games that Notre Dame has allowed four goals in a game, the last being a 4-2 loss to the Broncos in 1999. Last four-goal loss for the Fighting Irish was a 5-1 defeat to North Carolina in 1998 and the last time ND was shut out on its home field was back in 1992.
Reserves Kristi Candau and Megan Kakadelas were the stars for the Broncos tonight. Candau, a junior from Los Altos Hills, scored the Broncos' second and fourth goals of the night, while Kakadelas, a sophomore transfer from USC making her Bronco debut tonight, scored the game-winner in the 54th minute and assisted on Candau's first score.
Redshirt freshman Erin Pearson made her collegiate appearance tonight, starting in goal for the Broncos. She registered four saves on nine shots.
Kakadelas, along with returning sophomore starters Leslie Osborne and Jessica Ballweg, missed SCU's first match of the season while competing with the U.S. U19 National Team.
Sophomore Bree Horvath got the Broncos' offense going, with the team's first shot, arcing just over the net in the 15th minute. Midway through the half, Santa Clara received a direct kick right outside of the box, but senior Aly Wagner's shot was deflected. The Broncos were awarded its sole corner kick of the period on the play, with Wagner finding Candau on the cross for the shot, but Notre Dame keeper Lauren Kent just got her hands on the ball.
Both teams registered five shots in a scoreless first half. The Fighting Irish took six corner kicks in the period.
The second half of the game saw a more confident Bronco team, as Santa Clara out-shot Notre Dame 8-4 in the period.
Broncos received another direct kick right outside the box to start the second half but could not convert. Wagner played a ball to Kakadelas in the midfield, who then dribbled down the middle. Her first shot was blocked by Kent, but Kakadelas was able to score in the upper right corner on the rebound.
Kakadelas had a hand in the Broncos' second goal of the night, taking a long ball from Osborne and slotting the ball to Candau, who tapped it in from the near side just five minutes later.
"We were kind of down on ourselves after the Stanford game and so it's nice get on a high, especially against Notre Dame," Candau said.
Freshman Micaela Esquivel kept the Bronco momentum going, when she gathered a loose ball off a corner kick at the top of the arc in the 67th minute and chipped a shot over Kent's outstretched arms.
Candau closed the scoring for the night in the 80th minute, juking left around a defender and scoring.
The Broncos remain at the Classic and will take on Clemson Sunday at 9 a.m. Pacific Time. Fans can follow the game live statistically on www.SantaClaraBroncos.com.