Oct. 6, 2004
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Tonight
Santa Clara will play its third Pac-10 opponent in a row when it hosts California tonight. The Golden Bears are currently 7-1-1 on the season and their only loss is to top-ranked North Carolina. Cal is returning to action tonight after a 10-day break to close its non-conference season. The Golden Bears lead the Pac-10 in goals (25) while ranking 21st in the NCAA in goals-per-game average (2.78). Tonight's opponent also boasts a strong defense, ranked 17th nationally in goals-against average (0.54) and tops the country in shut out percentage (0.78), having blanked seven of its nine opponents.
Come Back on Sunday
The West Coast Conference season opens on Sunday afternoon when the Broncos host San Diego (6-6-1). Torero junior forward Lee Klopschinski was named the league's Player of the Week this past week for netting game-winning goals over third-ranked Washington and defending Mountain West Conference champion Utah. That match is designated as Summer Camper Day, where young fans who attended SCU summer camps will be admitted free to this contest.
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 alumnus Mark Wojciechowski and Ram Fletcher return as the voices of the Broncos.
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 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 eighth, while Soccer Buzz and Soccer Times list SCU 16th and 17th, respectively. The NSCAA/adidas poll dropped SCU three spots to No. 18. The Broncos have already played six of the nine nationally-ranked squads on the slate and will face a seventh tonight in No. 7 California. In West Coast Conference play, Santa Clara will face fourth-ranked Portland and No. 20 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. A feature story on senior Leslie Osborne's long-standing friendship with North Carolina's Lindsay Tarpley will air at halftime.
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.
A Look Ahead: Broncos Continue WCC Play on the Road
Santa Clara will continue WCC action with two road games next weekend. The Broncos wont travel far, as their opponents will be Bay Area teams Saint Mary's and San Francisco.
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.