Sept. 29, 2004
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This Week
Santa Clara will remain at home for a Thursday showdown with Bay Area rival Stanford, currently 7-2-0 on the season and ranked 10th nationally. Kick-off is set for 7 p.m. at Buck Shaw Stadium. The Broncos will then head to Southern California to take on another Pac-10 program, seventh-ranked UCLA, on Sunday afternoon. The Bruins are 6-2-0 on the season and will face Utah on Friday night prior to meeting the Broncos. The all-time series favors SCU 4-0-1, with the teams going into overtime the last two occasions, including a 1-1 draw in last year's season opener.
Promotions on Thursday
The athletic department will be celebrating Future Broncos Night, and youths wearing a jersey will be admitted for $2. There will also be a giveaway by adidas for the first 300 fans as they enter the Stadium. After the contest, Bronco players and coaches will participate in a post-match autograph session.
Live on the Internet
Santa Clara's entire home schedule returns to the Internet, as a live audio broadcast is available for a third season on www.SantaClaraBroncos.com. Additionally, Buck Shaw contests can be followed online with a live statistical tracker, also located on SCU's official athletic website. By logging on, fans can receive real-time updated statistics direct from the official scoring computer, allowing users to listen to the audio broadcast and keep up with the statistics simultaneously. SCU men's soccer alumni Mark Wojciechowski and Ram Fletcher return as the voices of the Broncos. Tune in to Thursday's halftime show, where Fletcher will interview new athletic director Dan Coonan.
Osborne on M.A.C. Hermann Trophy Watch List
Senior Leslie Osborne has been named to the "watch list" of players considered among the top candidates for the 2004 Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy, awarded to the top players in NCAA Division I soccer. The list was compiled by a committee of the NSCAA, the official selection body for the M.A.C.'s Hermann Trophy. Osborne, a native of Menomonee Falls, Wis., has already been named a preseason All-America by Soccer Buzz and Soccer America magazines. She leads the team with five goals. Along with an assist, she has 11 points on the season.
A list of 15 semifinalists will be announced in November, with three finalists selected in early December. The winner will be announced at a dinner at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis, Mo., on Jan. 8, 2005.
The award is college soccer's version of the Heisman Trophy. Past recipients include former Broncos Mandy Clemens and Aly Wagner. Clemens won both the Hermann Trophy and M.A.C. Player of the Year awards in 1999, while Wagner became the first honoree to have the distinction of receiving the newly-unified award.
In the Rankings
Santa Clara opened the 2004 season ranked in the top five in all four polls. This week, the Broncos are ranked as follows: Soccer America placed the Broncos seventh, while Soccer Times and Soccer Buzz list SCU 10th and 12th, respectively. The NSCAA/adidas poll kept Santa Clara 15th for the second consecutive week. The Broncos have already played four of the nine nationally-ranked squads on the slate. Santa Clara will play three Pac-10 opponents consecutively in the next eight days: No. 10 Stanford, No. 7 UCLA and No. 10 California. In West Coast Conference play, Santa Clara will face sixth-ranked Portland and No. 22 Pepperdine.
CSTV to Televise Portland Match
College Sports Television, the first 24-hour college sports television network, will televise the Broncos' Sunday, October 24 match against Portland at Buck Shaw Stadium. The broadcast will be tape-delayed to Thursday, October 28 at 5 and 8:30 p.m. Joe Beninati will call all the action on CSTV Soccer, while Tom Stone will provide expert analysis.
College Sports TV, the fastest-growing independent cable network, is available to more than 20 million homes nationally on cable and satellite. The network is available on Comcast, Time Warner and Adelphia cable systems, among others, and is also available on DirecTV (channel 610). For information on CSTV availability in particular markets, consumers can log on to www.collegesports.com/getcstv or call their cable or satellite operator.
Broncos Share Top Spot in WCC Preseason Poll
Santa Clara was selected as the favorite to win the WCC crown in the 2004 preseason poll, as selected by the league coaches. The Broncos, who have captured three straight league titles and seven overall, received six first-place votes in the poll. Portland collected the other two first-place votes, while Pepperdine, the only school other than Santa Clara and Portland to win the WCC title, was selected third. Rounding out this year's poll is San Diego, Saint Mary's, Loyola Marymount, Gonzaga and San Francisco.
Osborne Named Preseason All-America
Senior Leslie Osborne was named a preseason All-American by Soccer America and Soccer Buzz magazines, as well as CSTV. A returning team captain for the Broncos this season, Osborne earned All-America honors last season from Soccer Buzz and CSTV.
A Look Ahead: Broncos Close Non-Conference Slate
Santa Clara will play its third Pac-10 opponent in a row when it hosts California on Wednesday, Oct. 6. The Golden Bears are currently 7-1-1 on the season and their only loss is to top-ranked North Carolina. The Broncos will then open West Coast Conference play, hosting San Diego on Oct. 10 at 1 p.m. That match is designated as Alumni Day, where former Broncos will be honored. Young fans that attended SCU summer camps will be admitted free to this contest.
Season/Match Tickets on Sale
Season and individual match tickets for Santa Clara University's nationally-recognized soccer teams are on sale through the Department of Athletics' official website www.SantaClaraBroncos.com, and the athletic ticket office at 408-554-4660, between the hours of 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
In conjunction with its exclusive Internet partner, College Sports Online, the athletic department has developed an online ticket application that provides fans with the ability to purchase season tickets, family plans, individual matches or an all-sports pass via the official athletic website. A men's and women's soccer season ticket package that includes the 17 home matches is available for the adult price of $65 each, while a family plan provides a family of five admission to each game for the low price of $100. Youth (12 and under) and senior (over 65-years-old) season tickets are also available for $30. Single games are priced at $7 for adults, $5 for youths and seniors and $2 for non-Ruff Riders SCU students as well as members of Bronco Kidz. Single match team passes are also available for $35.
