Sept. 10, 2008
This Week For Bronco Women's Soccer
The No. 11 Santa Clara women's soccer team will travel to Stanford University to play in the Stanford Invitational. On Friday, Sept. 12 they will face for the first time in program history, UNC Greensboro. Kick off is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. at Cagan Stadium. On Sunday, Sept. 14 they will take on perennial powerhouse and rival No. 5 North Carolina at noon.
Last Week for Women's Soccer
Last week the Broncos split their result in Southern California, and come home with a win and a loss, extending their overall record to 3-2-0. Sunday the Broncos delivered then No. 21 Cal State Fullerton their first loss of the season, in their weekend home opener. Freshman Margueritte Aozasa, who has started the last four games at midfield, stepped up to Katherine Reynolds' corner kick into the goal mouth, beat her defender and slid her shot past the Titans goalkeeper Shannon Simpson to score her first collegiate goal.
Reynolds and Jenny LaPonte recorded the first assist that led the Broncos to their first goal of the game in the 17th minute, when the pair assisted on sophomore Alyssa Chun's goal. Chun, who also scored her first career goal, shot from 20 yards out got SCU off to a 1-0 lead. Freshman LaPonte recorded her first career assist, and it was a career high for Reynolds who tallied to assists in the game.
Freshman Bianca Henninger got her first start at goal and played the full 90 minutes while posting four saves.
On Friday they fell, 2-1, to No. 1 USC off a late second half goal by the Women of Troy. Sophomore midfielder and last week's WCC Player of the Week, Kendra Perry, scored her third goal in three games. Anessa Patton's shot towards the right post was knocked away by Southern California's goalkeeper Kristen Olsen, but Olsen could not control the ball and Perry followed through and kicked the ball into the far right post to tie the Trojans 1-1.
Follow the Game Online
Every Santa Clara home game and most road games are covered live on the Internet via www.SantaClaraBroncos.com. All home games will also feature a live audio broadcast as well.
Bronco Rankings
This season the Broncos have remained in the top-25 of national rankings. Coming into this weekend they are ranked No. 11 by Soccer Buzz, and No. 15 by Soccer America and the NSCAA polls.
Perry Leads Broncos in Scoring
Midfielder and last week's WCC Player of the Week Kendra Perry has scored three goals in her last three games for the Broncos, one of which was the game-winning goal for SCU over then No. 10 West Virginia. On Friday, Sept. 5 she scored her third career goal at then No. 1 USC. She leads Santa Clara's offensive attack in goals with three and six points.
Freshmen Seeing Back of Net
Freshmen Margueritte Aozasa and Jenny LaPonte have both scored goals for the Broncos this season. LaPonte scored her first career goal in her first college game, after subbing in four minutes prior. Aozasa netted her first career goal on Sunday's win over then No. 21 Cal State Fullerton.
Assist Leader Katherine Reynolds
Tri-captain Katherine Reynolds has notched three assists in the Broncos first five games. The junior defender posted her first assist of the season on Jenny LaPonte's first career goal at San Jose State on Aug. 22, and tallied a career high two assists on Sunday's win over then No. 21 Cal State Fullerton. In her first two seasons she had two assists, bringing her career total to five.
Chun Scores First Career Goal
Sophomore Alyssa Chun scored her first career goal on Sunday, Sept. 7 at then No. 21 Cal State Fullerton. Chun, who saw action in 12 matches last season, has seen time at midfield in all five contests this season and got her second career start in Sunday's game.
Freshman Keeper Nets First Career Win
Freshman Bianca Henninger started and played the full 90 minutes in Sunday's win at then No. 21 Cal State Fullerton. The rookie goalie made her collegiate debut tallying four saves.
Game-Winning Goals
This season Margueritte Aozasa and Kendra Perry have scored game-winning goals for the Broncos. Freshman Aozasa's goal came on Sunday, Sept. 7 at then No. 21 Cal State Fullerton. It was also her first career goal.
Sophomore Perry scored the game-winning goal in the second overtime period for Santa Clara over then No. 10 West Virginia at the Inn at Saint Mary's Soccer Classic on Aug. 29. She also scored her first career goal in the second half of that game. She was named WCC Player of the Week for her standout weekend at the Classic. Two of Perry's goals have been unassisted.
A Season of Firsts
With being only five games into the season, the Broncos have seen many players accomplish career firsts.
Scoring their first career goals are Margueritte Aozasa (1 goal this season), Alyssa Chun (1 goal this season), Jenny LaPonte (1 goal this season) Anessa Patton (1 goal this season) and Kendra Perry (3 goals this season).
Keeper Bianca Henninger, defenders Kathleen Matthew and LaPonte, and forwards Aozasa and Chelsea Bednarz have all gotten their first career starts this season.
Defender Katherine Reynolds had her first multi-assist game at then No. 21 Cal State Fullerton on Sept. 7, and LaPonte also notched her first career assist in that game.
Midfielder Kendra Perry Named WCC Player of the Week
The West Coast Conference named sophomore midfielder Kendra Perry WCC Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 1. Perry scored the game winning goal for the Broncos against then No. 10 West Virginia at the Inn at Saint Mary's Soccer Classic in South Bend, Ind. on Friday, Aug. 29. The goal came in the 101st minute of play off an Anessa Patton assist.
"She played over 100 minutes on Notre Dame's very wide field," said head coach Jerry Smith. "She fought through her body telling her to rest and made the run to make the game winning goal."
The Livermore, Calif. native not only scored the game winning goal, but also scored Santa Clara's only goal in regulation and her first collegiate goal. The second half unassisted goal came in the 50th minute when she scored off a rebound from a free kick save.
This is the first time the 2007 WCC All-Freshman Team recipient has been honored as the WCC Player of the Week.
Scouting UNC Greensboro
UNC Greensboro, 4-2-0, makes their first West Coast trip of the season coming off winning their last two matches at the NC State/Residence Inn North Tournament.
The Spartans squeaked by Virginia Commonwealth on Sept. 7, 2-1. Senior Katelynn Donovan and sophomore Kristen Player notched a goal a piece. On Sept. 5 Greensboro easily defeated Stetson, 4-1. Mary Kate Towne scored her first two goals of the season, and Player also tallied a pair of goals.
Player leads the team with four goals and two assists. Keeper Barrie Vogel, has played in five contests and started four, posts 14 saves and 7 goals allowed.
This will be the first time in program history that the Broncos will face the Spartans.
Scouting No. 5 North Carolina
Perennial powerhouse and rival No. 5 North Carolina comes into this weekend posting a 4-1-0 overall record. The Tar Heels will face the Broncos in their second game at the Stanford Invitational. On Friday, Sept. 12 they will take on host Stanford.
UNC is coming off a, 4-0, shutout over Kentucky at the Nike/Carolina Classic, which they hosted. Scoring for the Tar Heels was Merritt Mathias, Tobin Heath, and Casey Nogueira, who posted two goals.
Two days prior, Notre Dame delivered North Carolina their first loss of the season, in a 1-0 shutout.
Leading the offensive attack for UNC is Nogueira, who has scored four goals and notched one assist. Nikki Washington leads the team with four assists and closely followed by Yael Averbuch who has tallied three. The Tar Heels have played four different goal keepers this season. Primary keeper Anna Rodenbough has played in five games and posts eight saves on one goal against.
North Carolina is nationally ranked No. 5 in both the Soccer Buzz and NSCAA polls, and is No. 7 in the Soccer America rankings.
This will be the 19th time the Broncos have taken on the Tar Heels. North Carolina leads the all-time series 14-4. This will be the first time in two years that the programs have faced each other. In their last meeting on Nov. 20, Santa Clara shutout UNC, 1-0.
On Deck
The Broncos will host the Santa Clara adidas Classic in their home opener. They will host Cal Poly, Stanford and Yale.
Friday, Sept. 19 the doubleheader will begin with Yale taking on Stanford at 5 p.m. At 7:30 p.m. Santa Clara will open up the 2008 home campaign in the newly renovated Buck Shaw Stadium, when they face Cal Poly. On Sunday, in game one Cal Poly will play Stanford and the Broncos close out the Classic by hosting Yale at 1:30 p.m.