SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The No. 10 Santa Clara women's soccer team (11-4-2 overall, 4-1-0 WCC) remains home at Buck Shaw Stadium this weekend, facing No. 19 BYU (13-2-2; 4-1-1 MWC) Thursday night at 7 p.m. and Loyola Marymount (1-2-2 overall, 9-5-2 WCC) Sunday at 1 p.m.
Santa Clara sits at second in the WCC after falling to No. 2 Portland on Sunday. Loyola Marymount is fifth with its only win coming against Saint Mary's and two ties against Pepperdine and San Francisco.
Santa Clara heads into Thursday's game with an undefeated 5-0-0 all-time record against the Cougars, but has not played them in a decade. The last meeting happened in 2000, when the Broncos pulled out a 2-1 overtime victory over BYU in the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
This season, the only common opponent the two teams share is San Diego State. The Cougars defeated the Aztecs, 1-0, last Saturday. BYU is currently second in the Mountain West Conference standings due to a 1-0 double-overtime loss to New Mexico on Oct. 16.
Kassidy Shumway leads a well-balanced offensive team in points (17) with six goals and five assists. Jennie Marshall has 16 points with seven goals and two assists. Four others on the team have multiple goals and assists. Goalkeeper McKinzie Olson looks to be the starter for the match against the Broncos, having played all but 28 minutes and 39 seconds in BYU's 2010 season. Olson has seven shutouts, a .875 save percentage, and 0.46 goals-against-average.
Sunday's Santa Clara-Loyola Marymount matchup will serve as senior day for the Broncos as it is their final regular-season home match of the year. The visiting Lions have only stolen three games and one tie from Santa Clara in the all-time series, in which the Broncos have 13 victories.
The Lions are a tough team and wins do not come easy for their opponents. Three of their five losses came at the hands of a NSCAA top-25 team. LMU fell to California, 2-1, in their first regular season match and did not lose again until a 1-0 result in a Sept. 12 meeting with Notre Dame. Since the loss to the Irish, the Lions suffered a disappointing 2-0 loss to Northern Arizona on Sept. 26, a 2-0 loss to Portland on Oct. 15, and a 2-1 loss against Gonzaga on the road on Oct. 17. Last weekend in conference play, LMU defeated Saint Mary's, 1-0, and tied San Francisco, 0-0, at home.
Tawni Martino is the Lions' top goalscorer with seven tallies. In addition she has three assists for 17 points. Two others on the team have more than one goal and one assist each. Brittany Jagger is the only LMU player to appear in net this season. She has a league-leading eight shutouts with a .846 save percentage and 0.73 GAA.
Following this weekend's games, Santa Clara will complete the regular season at Pepperdine on Sat. Nov. 6.
GAME SCHEDULE:
Thursday
7 p.m. PT – vs. No. 19 BYU
Sunday
1 p.m. PT — vs. Loyola Marymount (senior day)
SENIOR DAY: The Broncos will honor their five seniors: Maxine Goynes, Anessa Patton, Amanda Poach, Lindsey Johnson, and Kendra Perry on Sunday prior to the match against LMU.
LIVE COVERAGE: Live stats and a webcast will be available for both games this weekend and can be found on the Santa Clara women's soccer schedule webpage or by clicking here.
TICKETS: Tickets for either match are available at http://www.santaclarabroncos.com/tickets or by calling 408-554-4660 or visiting the ticket window at the Leavey Center, Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
NOTES:
**The Broncos are an undefeated 5-0-0 all-time vs. BYU and 13-3-1 against LMU
**Jerry Smith is in his 24th season as SCU head coach (367-113-38)
**Goalkeeper Bianca Henninger (7 shutouts, 0.58 GAA) is a candidate for the 2010 MAC Hermann Trophy
**The Broncos have played or are scheduled to play four teams currently ranked in the NSCAA Top 25
**SCU returned six players named to the WCC's 2009 all-conference teams
**Allie Vernon, Kendra Perry, Lindsey Johnson and Bianca Henninger have been named team co-captains
**Henninger and Vernon were named to the 2010 WCC Preseason All-Conference team
**Former Broncos Brandi Chastain and Aly Wagner were added to the coaching staff for 2010
COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE WCC:
Santa Clara is tied for first in the conference in the overall goals-against category, giving up just 10 goals in 17 games (0.59) as is second behind the Pilots in goals-against-average (0.57, 10 goals in 1570:00 minutes). Senior Anessa Patton tops the conference in goals-per-game (15 GP, 7 G, 0.47). Junior goalie Bianca Henninger, who has started every game in net this season for SCU, leads all WCC goaltenders in save percentage (.867) and is second in goals-against average (0.58).
The Broncos, along with San Diego, have scored the most goals (5) in a single game by any WCC team. Individually, sophomore Olivia Klei has recorded the most assists in one game (3), and freshman Sarah Jackson has the most shots in one game (10).
In conference play only, Santa Clara is first in shots taken (73), points (32), goals (10), goals-per-game (2.00), assists (12), and assists-per-game (2.40). The Broncos are tied with Portland for the best goal differential margin (+1.80, 10 GF, 1 GA). Individually, Patton has the most points (9), points-per-game (1.80), goals (4), goals-per-game average (0.80), and game-winning goals (3). Senior Maxine Goynes is second in points (7), PPG (1.40), assists (3), and is tied for second in goals (2) and GPG (0.20). Klei has the most assists (4) and APG (0.80). Henninger is tied for first in shutouts (3), second in shutouts-per-game (0.60) and second in GAA (0.21) and save percentage (.944).
PATTON LEADS THE WAY: Senior Anessa Patton is leading the team in both goals (7) and game-winning goals (4). Patton was also selected as the WCC Player of the Week after the first weekend of league play for picking up the game-winner in a 1-0 win over San Diego.
DOIN' THE MATH: Sophomore Lauren Matheson has figured in a seven of Santa Clara's 23 goals, scoring three and providing an assist on four occasions. This past weekend, Matheson notched an assist against Gonzaga.
FANTASTIC FRESHMEN: Eight of Santa Clara's goals this season have been a direct result of the contribution from this year's rookies. Julie Johnston has two goals and three assists, while Sarah Jackson scored the game-tying goal against San Jose State and assisted on the game-winner against Oregon. Kelly Jenks also has two goals. Five freshmen have started games this season and two others have seen significant time on the field.
MILLER TIME: Junior Bridgett Miller scored her first career goal as a Bronco on Sunday, Sept. 19, lifting Santa Clara to a 1-0 win over Utah.
AOZASA A TWO-WAY PLAYER: Junior Margueritte Aozasa, who has been stellar in the back for Santa Clara, asserted herself as a two-way player by scoring both of the Broncos' goals against Oregon on corner kicks. Aozasa has started every match this season and has helped the defense to eight shutouts and a 0.57 goals-against-average.
HENNINGER ADDED TO MAC HERMANN TROPHY WATCH LIST: Santa Clara University junior goalkeeper Bianca Henninger has been named to the 2010 Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Women's Hermann Trophy Watch List, as announced by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). Henninger is one of just five goalkeepers among the 45 players selected for the award's preseason watch list. The honor is considered the highest individual award in intercollegiate soccer. The recipients are selected by NCAA Division I coaches who are members of the NSCAA.
VERNON AND LAPONTE OUT FOR SEASON
2010 WCC Preseason All-Conference selection Allie Vernon, has redshirted this season in order to have more time to properly recover from an injury. Also, junior Jenny LaPonte, who started in seven of her eight matches this season, will miss the rest of the year after a colliding with a Duck defender early in the match against Oregon on Sept. 24.
INSIDE THE TOP 10: Santa Clara entered the 2010 season ranked ninth in the nation according to the preseason poll released by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). This week the Broncos re-entered the top-10, moving up one spot to No. 10 after trouncing Gonzaga, 5-0, and falling to No. 2 Portland, 1-0.
2010 NSCAA TOP 10 (OCT. 25, 2010)
1. Stanford*
2. Portland*
3. Notre Dame*
4. North Carolina
5. Maryland
6. Texas A&M
7. Virginia
8. Florida
9. Florida State
10. Santa Clara
*Santa Clara opponents in 2010
30th ANNIVERSARY SEASON CELEBRATION
The celebration of the 30th anniversary of varsity women's soccer at Santa Clara was held the weekend of Oct. 8-10 with alumni activities held on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
On Friday evening, current players, coaches, and alumni gathered for a celebratory dinner. Saturday afternoon's festivities included alumni mini-games and a kids' clinic on Stanton Field. Saturday night, the Broncos again gathered for a dinner and a toast. On Sunday, the alumni were recognized on the field at halftime of the game against San Diego.
SCU HEAD COACH JERRY SMITH: SCU Head Coach Jerry Smith enters his 24th season at the helm of the Santa Clara women's soccer program in 2010. Although he is most known for the development of his players and teams, Smith also produces success and is the winningest women's soccer coach in Santa Clara history, having compiled a record of 367-113-38 (.745) – in fact Smith ranks among the top-5 winningest coaches in NCAA Division I history. Since taking over the head coaching duties at Santa Clara in the spring of 1987, Smith has built the Bronco soccer program into a national power. For 19 consecutive seasons, his Broncos reached the NCAA Tournament prior to 2008 and have consistently ranked among the top 10 teams in the country. He has taken the Broncos to 10 College Cup Final Fours and a national championship in 2001. In addition, his Bronco teams have won nine West Coast Conference titles.
2010 WCC PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. #4 Portland - 49 (7)
2. #8 Santa Clara - 41.5 (1)
3. #14 San Diego - 38.5
4. Pepperdine – 27
5. Loyola Marymount – 26
6. Saint Mary's – 19
7. Gonzaga – 12
8. San Francisco - 11
(First place votes - rankings by NSCAA)
2010 WCC STANDINGS (CURRENT)
1. #2 Portland (5-0-0; 17-1-0)
2. #10 Santa Clara (4-1-0; 11-4-2)
3. Gonzaga (3-2-0; 8-9-1)
4. San Diego (2-3-0; 9-7-2)
5. Loyola Marymount (1-2-2; 9-5-2)
6. Pepperdine (1-2-2; 8-5-5)
7. Saint Mary's (1-4-0; 7-7-3)
8. San Francisco (0-3-2; 4-12-2)
2010 WCC PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE
Kendra Chandhoke, Portland
Danielle Foxhoven, Portland
Julie Gallaudet, Loyola Marymount
Bianca Henninger, Santa Clara
Sheridan Jones, Gonzaga
Stephanie Ochs, San Diego
Sophie Schmidt, Portland
Michelle Spacciapolli, Pepperdine
Allie Vernon, Santa Clara
Keelin Winters, Portland
Jackie Zinke, San Diego
BRONCOS ADVANCE TO 2009 NCAA THIRD ROUND: After an early-season 2-0 win vs. No. 5 Notre Dame, the Bronco women, who finished the 2009 season ranked No. 10, were awarded for their fantastic play by once again playing in the NCAA College Cup tournament. They beat Michigan State and Oklahoma State at home in the first two rounds. Both games ended in penalty kicks. They ended their season with a battle at No. 1 Stanford, losing 1-0 to the eventual national runner-ups.
FIVE BRONCOS TAKEN IN 2010 WPS DRAFT: Five SCU women's soccer players (four from the Broncos' 2009 roster) were selected in the 2010 Women's Professional Soccer league (WPS) Draft. Jordan Angeli (Boston Breakers – 16th overall), Kiki Bosio (Los Angeles Sol – 22nd overall), Amanda Poach (St. Louis Athletica – 28th overall), Katherine Reynolds (Boston Breakers - #34 overall) and Meagan Snell (Sky Blue FC – 44th overall). Poach was released prior to the beginning of the WPS season, allowing her to return to the Broncos for a sixth year of eligibility. Bosio was picked up by FC Gold Pride when the Sol folded. Snell was released midseason by Sky Blue when the club added players from the folded St. Louis Athletica. Reynolds was released by the Breakers but picked up by the Philadelphia Independence.
