SANTA CLARA, Calif. – No. 7 Santa Clara women's soccer took care of business Thursday night with a commanding 3-0 win over TCU at home.
After a formation change 20 minutes in, the Broncos (7-1) took control of the match, outshooting the Horned Frogs (6-1-1) 17-8 while putting 10 shots on goal and collecting three assists as a team.
Entering the night, TCU had allowed just two goals all season, both to SMU in the same match, and scored 15 but managed just two shots on goal in the game.
Skylar Smith scored what would be the game-winner in the 24th minute to make it 1-0. Natalie Kennedy ran the ball down the field and found Smith in the box. Smith lobbed a shot over the keeper and into the back of the net.
The second of the night was the first of the year for Julie Doyle and came in the 39th minute. Machaela George sent a perfect ball from the right sideline to just outside the six yard box that Doyle headed in for a 2-0 Bronco advantage.
Maddy Gonzalez and Maria Sanchez teamed up for the capper in the 60th minute. Sanchez slipped a pass from the top of the box to the feet of Gonzalez who took a touch before knocking the ball low and inside the right post.
The goal gave Gonzalez the team-lead with four on the year and the assist moved Sanchez's WCC-leading total up to six.
In net, Melissa Lowder picked up her fourth shutout of the season, as many as she had in all of 2017, while making two saves.
QUOTABLE
VIDEO | Head coach @SCUJerrySmith discusses the team's 3-0 win over @TCUSoccer on Thursday, including a tactical change in the 1st half that kickstarted the offense. #SCUBroncos #StampedeTogether pic.twitter.com/6NbjMu5uT5
— Santa Clara Women's Soccer (@SCUWomensSoccer) September 14, 2018
NOTES
- Santa Clara is now 2-0 all-time against TCU.
- The Broncos had 25 players get into the match.
- Freshmen Brittany Pollard and Vanessa Mejia and redshirt freshman Shelby Schumacher made their Santa Clara debuts and Taylor Culver made her season-debut.
- Santa Clara is off to its best start since beginning the 2011 season unbeaten in its first seven matches (3-0-4). It is also the Broncos most wins through eight games since starting 2007 7-0-1.
UP NEXT
The Broncos stay in the Bay Area and travel to No. 1 Stanford Sunday at 4 p.m. The match is sold out but will be broadcast on Pac-12 Network.
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