Nov. 16, 2004
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This Week
Santa Clara University continues action at the 2004 NCAA Women's Soccer Championship with a third-round match against top-seeded North Carolina, scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. Pacific. The Broncos, the 2001 National Champions and 2002 College Cup finalists, are the tournament's 16th overall seed and are ranked fourth in the country. They boast a 16-4-2 record and are making their 16th straight NCAA postseason appearance. Santa Clara received the West Coast Conference's automatic berth into the Tournament after winning its fourth straight West Coast Conference Championship. The Broncos have advanced to the College Cup on nine occasions.
On the Tar Heels
The top-ranked Tar Heels (20-0-2) advanced to the third round with 6-0 victories over Campbell and William & Mary. This will mark the fourth straight year the two teams have played each other in the NCAA postseason. Santa Clara defeated UNC 1-0 in the 2001 NCAA championship game in Dallas, Texas, and then followed that with a 2-1 win over the Tar Heels in the 2002 NCAA semifinals in Austin, Texas. Carolina defeated Santa Clara 3-0 in last year's NCAA quarterfinals in Chapel Hill, N.C.
The Rest of the Field
Of the 64 teams selected, 14 are from the West. SCU went 5-3-1 against the tournament field during the regular season. North Carolina is the tournament's top seed, followed by Penn State, Virginia, Notre Dame, Portland, Ohio State, Princeton and Kansas.
The ACC led all conferences with eight teams in the tournament. Five teams represent the Big 12, Big 10 and the Pac-10; four teams represent the WCC. In the championship, 29 conferences were awarded automatic berths with 35 teams receiving at-large selections.
Advancing Through the Championship
The quarterfinals will be played November 26-28. The 2004 Women's College Cup will be held December 3 and 5 at SAS Stadium and is hosted by North Carolina State University and the Capital Area Soccer League in Cary, N.C.
Match Tickets on Sale
Gates to Fetzer Field for Saturday's match will open at 12:30 p.m. Eastern. Tickets will be priced at $7 for adults, $3 for students and $1 for children.
Broncos Win Fourth-Straight WCC Crown
Santa Clara clinched a share of its fourth-straight West Coast Conference title with a 1-0 victory over Pepperdine in its final regular season match in front of 1,196 fans at Buck Shaw Stadium on Saturday night. The Broncos notched their sixth shut out in a row and seventh consecutive victory to share the title with Portland. The championship is also the eighth in the program's history.
"I am very pleased that we are playing well at the most important time of the season," Jerry Smith said.
Bree Horvath provided the game-winner for SCU less than four minutes into the second half. Brittany Klein fed Megan Kakadelas, who after advancing the ball, found Horvath less than 10 yards in front of the goal.
Santa Clara dominated the pace of play throughout both halves, outshooting the Waves 7-5. In the first half, the Broncos had many solid scoring opportunities with much of the action taking place in their offensive zone. SCU had seven corner kicks in the first 45 minutes and 10 in the match.
Osborne a M.A.C. Hermann Trophy Semifinalist
Senior Leslie Osborne is one of 15 semifinalists for the 2004 Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy, awarded to the top players in NCAA Division I soccer. The list was compiled by the NSCAA, the official selection body for the M.A.C.'s Hermann Trophy. Osborne, a native of Menomonee Falls, Wis., is the WCC's Defensive Player of the Year and is also a preseason All-American by Soccer Buzz and Soccer America magazines. She has seven goals and one assists for 15 points so far this season.
Three finalists will be 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.
Kakadelas Earns Academic All-District Honors
Megan Kakadelas has been named to the CoSIDA District VIII All-Academic First Team for a second consecutive year. The senior forward from Carlsbad has a 3.806 grade-point average while working toward a degree in Accounting. She has started 16 contests, and has six goals and four assists for 16 points thus far this season. Kakadelas was one of four repeat first-team members from the 2003 selection. The first-team members' names will now be placed on the Academic All-America ballot, with the results of those honorees to be released November 23.
In the Rankings
Santa Clara opened the 2004 season ranked in the top five in all four polls and is close to returning there as the postseason begins. Final regular season polls rank the Broncos as follows: the NSCAA/adidas and Soccer America polls place the Broncos fourth. Soccer Buzz and Soccer Times list SCU at No. 6. The Broncos played eight nationally-ranked squads on the regular-season slate.
Bronco Bits: Leslie Osborne
Named a semifinalist for the 2004 Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy... also a finalist for Soccer Buzz's Player of the Year... a Soccer Buzz, Soccer America and CSTV preseason All-American... the WCC Defender of the Year... a first-team All-WCC selection... has 22 starts as a holding midfielder... one of three players who has started every match... has eight goals and one assist for 17 points... has converted all three penalty kick attempts and leads the team with five game-winning goals... scored at Cal Poly early in the second half to tie game... finished the night with five shots on goal... earned All-Tournament honors at Notre Dame Classic... scored game-winner in double overtime against SMU and followed with a goal and an assist against Notre Dame... finished weekend with six shots on goal... earned All-Tournament honors at Rutgers Classic... converted penalty kicks against Yale and CS Fullerton to record game-winning goals in both contests at the Stanford Nike Classic... named the WCC's Player of the Week for Sept. 20 for those efforts... also earned Soccer Buzz Elite Team of the Week honors... added All-Tournament honors at the SCU adidas Classic... converted penalty kick in seventh minute against California... injured right ankle late in match vs. California... posted fourth game-winner against San Jose State in the eighth minute... opened the NCAA Tournament with the game-winner against Cal in the 53rd minute... headed in a goal off a set piece...
Bronco Bits: Megan Kakadelas
A CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII First Team honoree... a first-team All-WCC selection... has 18 starts at forward and has seen action in all 22 contests... has six goals and seven assists for 19 points... scored first goal of the season at Cal Poly, less than two minutes after the Mustangs took the early lead... finished the night with five shots... earned All-Tournament honors at Notre Dame Classic... assisted on both goals against SMU and followed with a goal against Notre Dame... scored the team's third goal against Rhode Island... missed starts at Stanford Nike Classic due to injury... made an immediate impact in the contest against Yale... started the second half and drew a foul in the box within first three minutes of period that led to game-winning PK... added a score against Marquette... took three shots on goal against No. 7 California... assisted on game-winner at San Francisco... added a goal against San Jose State... scored the game-winner at Loyola Marymount... earned West Coast Conference Player of the Week honors for those efforts... assisted on both goals in the first round of the NCAA Championship against Cal... added an assist against Stanford in the second round...
Bronco Bits: Tina Estrada
A second-team All-WCC selection... has 22 starts at forward... one of three players who has started every match... has eight goals and four assists for a team-leading 20 points... has notched four game-winners on the season... assisted on match-tying goal during season-opener at Cal Poly... finished the night with four shots... added a header goal in the sixth minute against SMU... scored the team's final two goals against Rhode Island at the Rutgers Classic... scores came within four minutes of each other... assisted on Broncos' second goal against Yale... scored both game-winners at SCU adidas Classic to earn All-Tournament team honors... goal against Marquette was on a free kick... headed in a free kick against Denver... took three shots against No. 10 Stanford... added third assist of season at Saint Mary's... posted third game-winner of season at San Francisco... posted nine shots against Stanford in the NCAA Second Round, including the game-winner in the second overtime...
Bronco Bits: Julie Ryder
A first-team All-WCC selection... has 19 starts in goal... has posted 36 saves... has allowed 13 goals in 1740 minutes for a 0.67 GAA... has 10 shut outs on the season... netted six saves against CS Fullerton in first shut out of the season... added two shut outs at adidas Classic... posted fourth straight against No. 10 Stanford... shut out against Gonzaga marked 15th in her career, placing seventh for the best mark in program records... moved up to fifth in record books with shut out at Loyola Marymount... added three saves in the NCAA Tournament's first round...
Bronco Bits: Jordan Angeli
An honorable mention All-WCC selection... also named to league's All-Freshman squad... made collegiate debut with a start in defense at Cal Poly... has 14 starts and has seen action in all 22 contests... has one goal and two assists for four points... assisted on first goal against Notre Dame... added an assist in WCC opener against San Diego... took three shots against San Jose State... marked Portland's Christine Sinclair with much success in the Broncos' win over the Pilots...