Santa Clara Enhances Its Reputation With 7-0 Victory Unbeaten Broncos Top Gonzaga In Wcc Women’s Soccer Opener

It was the story of two teams going in different directions Sunday as Gonzaga University’s women’s soccer team took on the nationally ranked Santa Clara Broncos.

The Broncos, the NSCAA/USA Today poll’s seventh-ranked team, hope to go back to the NCAA Tournament after losing 2-1 to eventual champion North Carolina in last season’s semifinals.

“Our goal this year is to get back in the tournament,” said Santa Clara coach Jerry Smith. “Once we get there, we will make new goals.”

Gonzaga, on the other hand, was looking for a measure of respect after rival coaches picked the Bulldogs to finish last in the incredibly tough West Coast Conference.

“Santa Clara is one of the top teams, not only in our conference, but the nation,” said Bulldogs coach Ric Grenell.

Surprisingly, both teams got what they were looking for in their WCC opener as Santa Clara cruised to 7-0 win before just under 100 spectators on a sunny but windy afternoon at Martin Field.

“I was just hoping that we were not sluggish (after a 3-0 win over WSU on Friday),” said Smith.

Any dreams of a Gonzaga upset were put to an end just over five minutes into the match. Jacqui Little, Santa Clara’s star sophomore forward, drilled a shot into the left corner of the goal after drawing Bulldogs goalkeeper Sara Kinsky to her right.

With their strong legs and incredible quickness, Little and equally brilliant sophomore forward Mandy Clemens tested Gonzaga’s defense all afternoon.

“Their quickness and speed make up for a lot of mistakes,” said Smith.

“We really attack well as forwards,” said Clemens, who has four goals and seven assists on the year.

She scored Santa Clara’s second goal after Kinsky collided with her defender and the ball squirted right onto Clemens’ left foot.

“Their (Little and Clemens) intensity was incredible,” said Gonzaga freshman forward Sarah Streufert, a University High grad.

The Broncos scored once more before the half. Midfielder Megan Horvath launched a pretty shot from the left side of the goal box over a defender and Kinsky into the center of the net.

The Broncos’ defense generally stifled the Bulldogs throughout the half, keeping the ball primarily on Gonzaga’s side of the field.

Gonzaga’s best chance to score in the half came at the 31-minute mark when Streufert, WCC Player of the Week two weeks ago, had an open run down the left side after juking her defender. She managed to fake the goalie too, but ran out of room before she could attempt a shot.

It was more of the same in the second half.

The loss dropped Gonzaga to 1-4-0 overall. Santa Clara improved to 5-0-0.

Gonzaga’s men’s struck for three early goals and went on to beat UC Irvine 3-0 in the Oregon State University tournament at Corvallis.

Jeff McAllister scored two of Gonzaga’s goals, both on assists from Mike Thompson, as the Bulldogs improved their record to 5-1-0.