HIGHLIGHTS: Women's Soccer Defeats Stanford in NCAAs
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – It was the game you'd expect from the last two national champions. No. 12-ranked Santa Clara women's soccer avenged a regular-season loss and beat No. 20 Stanford 1-0 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Saturday afternoon at Stevens Stadium.
It was a defensive game on both sides as the teams combined to get off just 15 shots in the game, seven for the Broncos (12-5-2) and eight for the Cardinal (13-6-1), with just two and one respectively in the first half. Stanford put three on target but Kylie Foutch was there to stop them all, including the biggest play of the day.
With Santa Clara on top 1-0 in the 73rd minute, the Broncos called for a foul in the box to give the Cardinal a penalty kick. Maya Doms stepped to the spot and went low and to her left but Foutch laid out to make the save.
The stop allowed Makoto Nezu's first goal of the season in the 59th to standup as the game-winner. Off a corner, the ball wasn't cleared far enough and Nezu took a shot from just outside the 18 that deflected off a defender and into the back of the net. It was just the second career goal for Nezu, with the other coming in the second round of the 2020 NCAA Tournament against Ohio State.
After the goal, Stanford began to push numbers forward to try to find the equalizer. Apart from the penalty shot, Santa Clara's defense held strong and shutout a team that came into the match averaging 2.4 goals per match, No. 20 in the nation. The only other shutout this season for the Cardinal came at No. 5 UCLA in a 1-0 defeat October 28.
Stanford defeated the Broncos, 3-1, at home on Sept. 19.
�� HIGHLIGHTS ��
— Santa Clara Women's Soccer (@SCUWomensSoccer) November 14, 2021
Makoto Nezu and Kylie Foutch come through in the clutch in Saturday's NCAA Tournament victory over Stanford!#StampedeTogether
Courtesy: NCAA/Veritone pic.twitter.com/fpm9MRB4UE
NOTES
- Santa Clara is now 21-24-8 all-time against Stanford and 7-4 in the NCAA Tournament.
- This was the Broncos 60th win in the NCAA Tournament. They are 37-3-2 at home.
- Kelsey Turnbow is in fifth place at Santa Clara in career goals with 54. Next is Jenni Symons and Jacqui Little with 63 each. She is in a tie for for sixth with Danielle Slaton, Jenni Symons, and Karen Medved with 35 assists. Next is Little with 37. Turnbow is also at 142 points, which is fifth. Next is Jenny Fechner's 156.
- Head coach Jerry Smith now has 520 career wins, the third most Division I wins in women's soccer history.
THE GOAL
BRONCOS TAKE THE LEAD!!! #StampedeTogether | @NCAASoccer pic.twitter.com/FYeQTrQyOB
— Santa Clara Women's Soccer (@SCUWomensSoccer) November 13, 2021
INTERVIEW
��️ @SCUJerrySmith talks about Santa Clara's hard-earned @NCAASoccer Tournament first round win over Stanford.#StampedeTogether pic.twitter.com/lhkibCF8kk
— Santa Clara Women's Soccer (@SCUWomensSoccer) November 14, 2021
NEXT UP
The Broncos play third seed Georgetown in Washington, D.C. in the second round Friday, Nov. 19. Time is TBA.
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