Aug. 31, 2003
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Santa Clara University junior forward Bree Horvath netted the first hat trick of her career in leading the Bronco women's soccer team to a 9-1 victory against San Jose State this evening at Spartan Stadium. Horvath scored all three goals in the first half, and became only the 13th player in program history to record the milestone.
"I was little surprised by it, but excited," Horvath said of her hat trick. "We just wanted to set the tone for the game early and I hoped I helped in that. Our team was connecting well and finding each other's feet. I was in the right spaces at the right times."
Sophomore Micaela Esquivel and senior Tracy Hess added two goals apiece as the Broncos improve to 1-0-1. San Jose State falls to 1-1-0. The nine goals scored today mark the most against the Spartans in a single match in the eight-game series.
Today's contest was part of the annual Rivalry Series between the two schools. The Broncos won last year's inaugural series by a 20-10 score. The two universities also met in volleyball and cross country this weekend, with Santa Clara coming out ahead in all three competitions, handing the Broncos 10 of the fall season's 13 overall points.
The Broncos struck early, with Horvath's goal in the fourth minute. Senior Veronica Zepeda dribbled around the back left corner of the box, looking for opportunities, and took a shot. The ball ricocheted off a Spartan defender into Horvath, whose first attempt was also blocked. However, the rebound came back to her, where she collected the ball and found the bottom right corner of the net.
Horvath scored again-the 10th of her career-in the 11th minute with a shot from 20 yards. Just prior to the 17-minute mark, junior Leslie Osborne found fellow junior Megan Kakadelas on the run. Her breakaway score extended the lead to 3-0.
Horvath's first chance at the hat trick came in the 20th minute, but her shot hit the crossbar. Freshman midfielder Marian Dalmy followed with a shot that struck the left post. They were among 18 first-half shots for the Broncos. The Spartans were shotless until the 25th minute, when Shannon Leslie's attempt from outside the penalty box was saved by Bronco freshman goalkeeper Julie Ryder, who joined midfielder Tiffany Roberts in earning their first collegiate starts this afternoon.
Horvath's hat trick came in the 29th minute, as her shot slowly dribbled across the goal line off the Spartan keeper.
The Broncos extended the lead to five just before halftime when Dalmy connected on her next shot, and recorded her first collegiate goal.
Second-half substitute Hess scored in the 55th minute to continue the Bronco advantage. Dalmy set up the play with a shot from outside that was punched away by SJSU keeper Adrienne Herbst. Horvath collected and found Hess, who slid into a defender, but got enough oomph on the ball for it to trickle in. Esquivel added a seventh goal, when Roberts found her in the 66th minute.
Esquivel stole the ball in the penalty box in the 74th minute and quickly scored her second goal of the contest. Hess closed out scoring with her second tally of the contest just two minutes later.
Although Santa Clara has now won each of the past eight meetings with SJSU, the Spartans avoided a sixth straight shutout to SCU with a score by Andrea Puljiz in the 63rd minute. It marked only the fourth tally in the series, as the Broncos retain the scoring advantage 38-4.
Junior defender Lana Bowen, who has started the past 47 matches, dating back to her freshman year, missed today's start due to an injury sustained in warm-up.
Smith used 21 players on his roster in today's action, including redshirt freshman Bonnie Bowman and seven newcomers.
Santa Clara will return to action next week, hosting Pacific on Thursday at 7 p.m. The athletic department will celebrate "Soccer Moms & Daughters" and "Girl Scouts" Night, admitting for free daughters who bring Mom, as well as girl scouts wearing their uniforms or pins. Santa Clara will conclude that weekend with a Sunday match against 16th-ranked California at 1 p.m. Both matches will take place at Buck Shaw Stadium.