Oct. 18, 2002
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Senior All-America Aly Wagner netted one goal and one assist as the Santa Clara University women's soccer team defeated Saint Mary's 3-1 in West Coast Conference action tonight at Buck Shaw Stadium. The fifth-ranked Broncos improve to 10-3-1, 2-0-0, while the Gaels fall to 7-7-1, 1-1-0.
The Broncos opened up scoring in the 18th minute. Wagner passed her corner kick on the far side to Bree Horvath in the middle, who then gave it to Lana Bowen on the near side. Bowen served into the box, where Devvyn Hawkins collected the ball, turned, and fed to Megan Kakadelas on the far side, whose one-touch shot inside the six-yard box marked her fifth goal of the season.
Five minutes later, a mis-clear by a Bronco defender allowed Gael Lu Crenshaw a steal. She drew SCU goalkeeper Alyssa Sobolik out and made her chip shot fall just under the crossbar for the equalizer.
With just over three minutes until the half, Leslie Osborne was tripped just outside the goal box on the near side, earning a yellow card for a Saint Mary's defender. Wagner took the free kick in the same place where she knocked in a game-winning goal last year against the Gaels. Tonight's shot curved just wide left of the goal.
The Broncos took the lead in the 67th minute with Wagner's game-winner. Her shot from 18 yards was deflected off of Gael Allison Kop's head into the net.
Freshman Micaela Esquivel capped the scoring for the night with her ESPN highlight-worthy goal in the 82nd minute. Wagner took a free kick from the center circle. Osborne slipped past a defender to head Wagner's serve toward the goal, but it was punched away by SMC netminder Ruth Montgomery. Esquivel bicycle kicked the deflection across the goal for her fourth score of the season.
Montgomery registered five saves, but it was Sobolik who earned her sixth victory of the season.
Santa Clara remains at Buck Shaw Stadium and will host a West Coast Conference and Bay Area Rival on Sunday, as San Francisco visits for a 1 p.m. contest.
