Sept. 22, 2009
Watch both matches on Broncos' All-Access
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The ninth-ranked Santa Clara women's soccer team (7-2-0) faces two tough non-conference opponents this weekend, taking on Cal State Fullerton Friday at 5 p.m. and Southern California Sunday at 1 p.m. in the first two-games of a four-game home stand. Friday's match against the Titans is also a double-header with the men's side, which will play Brown in a 7:30 p.m. contest. One ticket is good for both Friday matches.
The Broncos are undefeated at home, going 3-0 on Buck Shaw, and will play on brand new turf as the stadium field underwent improvements this week.
Santa Clara is averaging 1.78 goals per game (16 total) and has only allowed five goals in nine games this season. The Bronco defense has earned four shutouts and the offense has generated 60 corner kicks in comparison to opponents (who have 20).
Senior Kiki Bosio (Mission Viejo, Calif.), junior Maxine Goynes (Modesto, Calif.) and redshirt senior Jordan Angeli (Lakewood, Colo.) lead the team in points with seven. Bosio and Goynes have two goals and three assists, while Angeli has three goals and one assist. Santa Clara has had nine different goal scorers and 10 different points contributors. Sophomore goalkeeper Bianca Henninger (Los Gatos, Calif.) has been in between the pipes for all nine games, carries a goals-against-average of 0.54, and is credited with all four shutouts.
LAST WEEK'S WRAP-UP
Santa Clara picked up two wins at the Stanford/Nike Classic, finishing second behind the Cardinal who also won twice and had a goal differential of plus-10. The Broncos defeated Wisconsin 2-1, surrendering a late goal in the 89th minute to the Badgers, and bested No. 23 Colorado in overtime 1-0. Bosio had the game-winning goal over the Buffaloes and assisted on Goynes' and Lexi Orand's (Orange, Calif.) goals against Wisconsin.
SCOUTING CAL STATE FULLERTON
The Titans have struggled thus far, compiling a 2-4-1 overall record, but can't be discounted as a formidable opponent. The series against Cal State Fullerton (2003-08) is 5-0-1 in favor of Santa Clara, but all the games have been decided by one goal or less with the exception of a 2-0 win in 2006, and twice the match has gone into overtime.
The Titans have defeated only Hawai'i and Michigan, both 1-0 scores, and have fallen to three common opponents with the Broncos and tied one. Its biggest loss (4-0) came at the hands of USC, and they have also dropped matches to Utah and San Diego, while tying San Francisco 1-1.
Danielle Bitonti and Tamara Dewey lead the offense with two goals each and Shannon Simpson has seen the majority of action in net, earning one shutout and holding a GAA of 1.91.
SCOUTING SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
The Broncos have some unfinished business with the Trojans (who lead the series 2-4-0), as they have not beaten the Pac-10 side since 2000 and lost the last four contests against them. USC, the NCAA Champion in 2007, was also responsible for one of the most hurting losses in recent memory for many of the current Broncos, ousting them prematurely in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament 1-0 on a late goal. A win for Santa Clara in this contest would no doubt carry meaning for the program.
The Trojans are out of the national top-25 for the first time in a while after suffering one-goal losses to St. John's and Ohio State and taking a 3-0 pounding from Texas A&M in the season-opener, but rebounded to overcome Cal State Fullerton, Gonzaga, and Michigan, and recently found success in Oklahoma, beating both the Sooners and the Cowgirls 1-0.
USC has four multi-goal scorers and Alyssa Davila leads the pack with three. They also tout a solid defense anchored by senior Meagan Holmes and senior goalkeeper Kristin Olsen, who owns a 0.94 GAA.
CATCH COACH SMITH AND Jordan Angeli ON WCC LIVE
WCC Live will be back on the air on Wednesday, Sep. 23rd and head coach Jerry Smith and Jordan Angeli will be featured on the program. The two are penciled in to appear around midway through the show. Fans can participate to ask the guests questions by calling the listener line at 646-378-1311 or emailing questions to wcclive@ymail.com, which can also be done ahead of time as well. To listen to the show live, just go to www.blogtalkradio.com/wccsports. Fans can also listen to any previous episode from the Podcentral tab on WCCSports.com. In addition, fans can win a weekly prize by answering the weekly trivia question of the week.
BRONCOS GETTING NATIONAL AND CONFERENCE RECOGNITION
The season is only five weeks old, but Santa Clara has had numerous players recognized nationally by several different media outlets. The Broncos have had five CollegeSoccer360.com Primetime Performers of the Week selections [Angeli (9/8, 9/14), Vernon (9/14), Bosio (9/22), Reynolds (9/22)], one TopDrawerSoccer.com National Team of the Week selection [Henninger (9/14)], and two WCC Players of the Week [Angeli (9/14), Bosio (9/21)].
In the polls, Santa Clara hit its highest mark of the season on Tuesday, checking in at No. 9 in the NSCAA National Rankings. The Broncos are also currently ranked No. 10 in Soccer America, No. 12 on SoccerTimes.com, and No. 27 on TopDrawerSoccer.com's tournament ranking.
BRONCO NOTES
Santa Clara returned 17 letterwinners and lost four, only one of which was a starter (goalkeeper Meagan McCray) ... the Bronco freshman class of 10 players was named TopDrawerSoccer.com's best in the nation ... Santa Clara was picked to finish third in the West Coast Conference table behind Portland and San Diego.
FOLLOW THE BRONCOS ONLINE
Both matches this weekend will be webcast on the Santa Clara All-Access channel and free live stats can be followed on CBS College Sports' Gametracker.
LOOKING AHEAD
Santa Clara will play two of the Pac-10's best, facing rival Stanford on Thursday, Oct. 1 and California on Sunday Oct. 4, before beginning the West Coast Conference season on Oct. 11 at San Diego.
