Sacramento State Women's Soccer Rallies For 2-1 Win Over Saint Mary's In Opener

Photo, Recap Credit: Sacramento State

MORAGA, Calif. — The Sacramento State women's soccer team capitalized on two quick goals early in the second half to record a 2-1 win over Saint Mary's on Friday at Saint Mary's Stadium in the season opener for both teams.

The Hornets started the second half trailing 1-0 but tied the game when Caitlin Prothe headed in a cross from Kayla Collins just seven minutes into the period. The team took the lead 119 seconds later when freshman Kylee Kim-Bustillos tapped home a mishandled ball by the goalkeeper to put Sacramento State on top for good.

The Gaels' lone goal in the game came in the 20th minute when Hannah Diaz converted a breakaway opportunity. That shot was the first of the game for Saint Mary's as the Hornets had accounted for the first four attempts of the contest.

Sacramento State finished the game with an 11-7 edge in shots but the only SMC shot on frame was its goal. Prothe led the Hornets with five shot attempts, including two on goal. Molly McConnell earned the victory by playing all 90 minutes in goal but was not credited with a save.

The contest also featured 24 total fouls (14 by the Hornets, 10 by Saint Mary's) and had four yellow cards (3 SAC, 1 SMC).

Sacramento State will next play at Nevada on Sunday at 1 p.m. The team will have its home opener on Saturday, Aug. 26, against Fresno State at 12 p.m.

Santa Clara Doyles' First Career Goal Lifts Women's Soccer Over San Jose State in Season-Opener

Photo, Recap Credit: Santa Clara University

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Kicking-off the 2017 season, Santa Clara women's soccer clawed out a 2-1 victory over San Jose State on Friday night at Stevens Stadium.

With the score tied, Julie Doyle scored her first career goal in the 88th minute to put Santa Clara (1-0) on top 2-1. Doyle got the ball near the top of the box and turned to fire a rocket into the back of the net for the game-winner.

Despite the close score, Santa Clara was on the front foot on offense, especially in the first half when the Broncos attempted 10 shots and put eight on goal. Ana Calero made 10 saves in net for the Spartans to keep the match tight.

Santa Clara came out of halftime flat and in the 51st minute San Jose State (0-1) tied the score at 1-all. Yaritza Arista passed the ball from the top corner of the box to Yvette Cueller who turned and slipped her shot past Lowder in net.

Maddy Gonzalez got the scoring going with the first goal of the year in the 25th minute. A through ball found Maria Sanchez who one-touched a pass to Gonzalez and she was able to finish with a shot to the far post.

"We had great fan support tonight. We've always been fortunate here with the fan support. People come out for the game and cheer on the team. It really inspires our players. We love our fans. They're a big part of our program and a big reason why we win a lot of home games. With the fans support we were able to pull out the win."

Head coach Jerry Smith

NOTES
This was the 50th consecutive game for Santa Clara without allowing more than two goals.

The Broncos held the edge in shots 18-7 and 12-4 in shots on goal.

Six Broncos made their Santa Clara debut (Doyle, Sanchez, Sofia Jones, Alex Loera, Kelcie Hedge, and Kelsey Turnbow), four of which were also collegiate debuts (Doyle, Jones, Loera, and Turnbow).

Four-year old Sofia Rodriguez served as the honorary Bronco captain for the match. Rodriguez has been through intensive chemotherapy for B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma but is scheduled to finish treatment on March 16, 2018.

UP NEXT
The Broncos head to Cal on Sunday to take on the Bears at 1 p.m. The game will be on Pac-12 Network with Kate Scott and Bronco alum Aly Wagner making the call.

Hawks' Defense Renders Knights Scoreless

HAWARD, CALIF. – In a battle of back lines, the Urban Knights (1-7-1, 1-2-1 PacWest) relentlessly applied pressure, but could not break Holy Names' (1-6-1, 1-4-1 PacWest) defense, falling 1-0.
 
Academy of Art came out of the gate with a with an offensive mindset. In the first half, ART U took 10 shots, including seven in the opening period. However, the Hawks' defenders were able to effectively fend off their attack, as only three shots were on goal. On the opposite side of the pitch, junior goalkeeper Maggie Alikpala-Wilsonhad a busy opening period, posting five saves, while only allowing one to get through. The goal was by Courtney Okazaki in the 14th-minute. Looking to respond, the Urban Knights continued to attack the net, compiling four shots in the next 10 minutes. With 40 seconds remaining in the half, junior midfielder Aliya Salas looked to tie the contest with a final shot, but it sailed over the crossbar, keeping the deficit at one.
 
In the second half, ART U deployed an effective defensive strategy, only allowing two shots on goal; both were saved by Alikpala-Wilson. The Knights again put together an early offensive-push, taking all six of their second-period shots within the first 22 minutes. Despite the stress applied to HNU's back line, they did not break and the Hawks went on to win their first contest of the season.
 
Overall, Academy of Art outshot Holy Names 16-13, the Knights' second highest shot total of the season. After scoring her first goal in their previous game against Chaminade, junior midfielder Abi Chavez put together another strong showing on Monday. The Los Angeles Pierce College transfer led the team with six shots, matching her season high (also recorded against Chaminade).
 
ART U will now continue their three-game road trip when they head to San Diego on Thursday, taking on Point Loma at 3:30 p.m.

Lions Win Streak Stopped at Eight

Recap, photo courtesy of Vanguard

LA MIRADA, Calif. – Vanguard University (8-3, 3-1) is knocked off for the first time in eight matches as they are handed a first conference loss by Biola (9-0-1, 3-0-1). The 10th ranked Lions only loses this year have been to teams ranked #2, #8, and #12 in the country. The Pride, sit one point out of first place as Biola holds 10 points through four games.

Throughout the game, the Eagles were the aggressor taking 21 shots compared to seven for the Blue and Gold. Haley Magana (SO/Los Alamitos, CA) was busy between the posts as she had to stop seven shots. Biola held a 7-2 edge in corner kicks and the Lions were whistled for three more fouls during the 90 minutes of match action. Danyelle Allen (SR/San Clemente, CA) took a team high two shots for Vanguard. The lone score of the game came at the 17th minute mark as Brianna Mikalson netted her second goal of the season.

Next Match: Saturday, October 8th at Hope International University at 12:00 p.m.

-GOLD PRIDE-

Eagles' Teamwork Provides Fireworks in Conference Opener

Five assists lead to six goals from six different players in a big win against Arizona Christian.
By Brandon Taylor, Biola Sports Information Assistant
LA MIRADA, Calif. --- The saying applies across a wide range of sports: the best defense is a good offense. But matches like the 6-1 win No. 11 Biola produced Tuesday in the conference opener against Arizona Christian prove just how distinctive this side's potent offense can be.

Biola (7-0) is currently one of the top-5 goal scoring teams in the NAIA with 31 goals in seven matches. But, like so many other matches, tonight the Eagles again split the scoring duties with six different players finding the net.

"The story of the season for us so far has been multiple girls stepping up to score," said Head Coach Erin Brunelle. "It was great to go 1-0 to start conference play against a very improved Arizona Christian side and to do it in a way where a lot of ladies showed we can count on them to come through for us."

It only took three minutes for Biola to get on the scoreboard, as forward Jessie Burns raced through a hole in the Firestorm defense to score a ball laid on by Ashley Ramirez just in front of goal. Burns' third goal of the season seemed to be the strong push the Eagles wanted to start rolling in conference play. But every opportunity over the next 23 minutes broke down until it was Marisa Reyes of the Firestorm who scored the next goal and tied the match at ones.

The single goal did not deter the Eagles, as the team redoubled their effort with three goals in the nine minutes leading up to halftime.

"Their goal pretty early on in the half kind of woke us up," said Brunelle. "It was a good response from our ladies to put a couple in before halftime to give us an extended lead."

Just a day after earning Golden State Athletic Conference Defender of the Week honors, Kayla White scored the Eagles' second goal on her patented strike from 30 yards out, stunning the opposing goalkeeper. Samantha Verduzco followed that up two minutes later with the close range finish that Biola is accustomed to after a beautiful combination from Janae Megorden and Taylor Venegas. Margaret Guadarrama would score her first goal of the season by heading a cross that Bri Mikalson served in from the right side, which was the defender's third assist on the year.

Biola would finish with its second 40-shot match of the season and an astounding 20 shots-on-goal. After the 15 minute break and the insertion of fresh substitutes, Biola simply broke the game open with the pressure it applied, adding two more goals on an unassisted Taylor Venegas strike and a Madyson Brown header assisted by a Mariah Ziemer corner kick.


Biola's next match is Saturday at home against GSAC opponent Menlo at 7:00 p.m.

No. 13 Women's Soccer Falls at Washington State in Close Match

Article, Photo Courtesy of Santa Clara

PULLMAN, Wash. – In the first road game of the year, No. 13 Santa Clara women's soccer was undone by a late first half goal in a 1-0 loss to Washington State on Thursday night. The Broncos had their chances, especially late, but the Cougar defense stood tall and didn't allow the equalizer.

The Broncos (2-1) were on the attack much of the second half but were just a step away from putting together any runs for a goal. When it looked like they were going to create a dangerous chance, the Washington State (1-1) defense flexed its muscles and got the ball away from danger.

The Cougar goalkeeper Ella Dederick picked up three saves on the day but made a number of plays to stop potential chances by Santa Clara.

"We played a tough opponent today that knows how to win 1-0 games," Santa Clara head coach Jerry Smith said. "They commit to defending and didn't give us any easy looks. You have to credit them for being aggressive and compact on defense in the second half."

The lone goal of the match came in the 39th minute off the head of Alysha Overland. Kaitlyn Johnson took the first shot of the play but hit the crossbar in a stroke of fortune for the Broncos. Overland was standing in position for a rebound but her header also went off the crossbar before she finally headed the ball into the back of the net to make it 1-0.

"Their goal was a very determined effort," Smith said. "They didn't convert right away but got off three shots in five seconds. Their determination in front of goal got them their goal and we struggled to put one in the back of the net."

Santa Clara's best chance to tie the game came in the 84th minute off the foot of Jordan Jesolva. After her first shot was blocked, Jesolva regained control and turned to fire a shot that went straight at Dederick.

"I thought the game was fairly even today," Smith said. "The difference turned out to be that we lacked the same toughness in front of goal. We had plenty of chances but didn't have the quality that we were looking for."

The Broncos are back on the pitch Sunday at 3 p.m. at Washington. The game can be seen on the Pac 12 Network.

SACRAMENTO WOMEN’S SOCCER EDGED BY HAWAII IN DOUBLE OVERTIME, 2-1

HONOLULU, Hawaii – For the second consecutive game Sacramento State battled a team into double overtime but was defeated by a late goal, as Hawaii's Storm Kenui netted the winner in the 104th minute to give the Wahine a 2-1 win.

Last Sunday the Hornets lost 1-0 on a goal by San Jose State in the 105th minute. Sophomore goalkeeper Destiny Butcher was brilliant in that game and was again on Thursday as she made a career-high 14 saves, tied for the second most saves in a game in program history.

Sacramento State dropped to 1-2-0 with the narrow loss while Hawaii, which plays its first six games of the season at home, remained undefeated at 2-0-1.

The game was part of the Outrigger Soccer Classic Series #2. Earlier on Thursday Idaho State beat BYU-Hawaii 1-0 in overtime on a penalty kick goal in the 96th minute. The Bengals had a 22-3 edge in shots in the game but couldn't find the back of the net in regulation time.

Since the first game of the tournament went long the Sacramento State – Hawaii game did not start until 10:45 p.m. Pacific time (7:45 p.m. local). It was the first Hornet game off the mainland since the squad last played at Hawaii in 2001.

The shots were 9-7 Hawaii in a scoreless first half with the Wahine placing five on goal. The home team had its best scoring chance on a penalty kick in the 10th minute but Butcher made the save on Hawaii's Sonest Furtado. The Hornets had three shots on goal in the half but goalkeeper Monk Berger was not beaten.

Both teams scored within an eight minute stretch early in the second half. Hawaii took the lead in the 50th minute when Sarah Lau headed home a cross from teammate Addie Steiner.

The Hornets came back to tie it up in the 58th minute. Junior Andrea Boehm, who scored her first career goal in Sacramento State's season opening 2-0 win over CSU Bakersfield last week, picked up her team-leading second score of the year to level the match.

Butcher was called upon to make six saves in the second half, denying a pair of tries in the final minute of regulation time. The Hornets had the better chances in the first overtime, taking four shots, but it was all Hawaii in the second OT with Butcher denying a header off a corner before the Wahine found the winner.

The shots in the game were 24-20 in favor of Hawaii with a 16-6 advantage in shots on goal. Butcher's 14 saves equaled the most a Hornet goalie has totaled since 1995 as she became the fourth Hornet keeper to finish a game with 14 stops.

Sacramento State was once again close to recording a tie but the late Hawaii goal made 49 consecutive games since the program's last draw. Thursday's contest was the eighth game to go to overtime in the nearly three years since the team's last tie in 2013.

The Hornets conclude their trip to Honolulu facing BYU-Hawaii at 7:30 p.m. Pacific time on Saturday.

Santa Clara Women's Soccer Announces Spring Schedule

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara women's soccer announced its spring schedule Thursday. The Broncos will play five games with four coming at Stevens Stadium.

"We always look forward to our spring season," said Santa Clara head coach Jerry Smith. "We are able to get an idea of which players are ready to step up into leadership roles and starting roles. It's a great time to experiment and allows players to grow into their new roles for the future."

The spring season starts against the Sacramento Storm on April 3. The Broncos also host CSUN, Cal, and San Jose State.

The season wraps up May 13 vs. Stanford in Palo Alto.

Date	Opponent	Site	Time
April 3	Sacramento Storm	Santa Clara, Calif.	3 p.m.
April 9	CSUN	Santa Clara, Calif.	11 a.m.
April 14	Cal	Santa Clara, Calif.	7 p.m.
April 19	San Jose State	Santa Clara, Calif.	8 p.m.
May 13	Stanford	Palo Alto, Calif.	7 p.m.

All games subject to change.

Bronco Women's Soccer Falls to No. 23 Cal 1-0

BERKELEY, Calif. – In its final nonconference game of the regular season, No. 19 Santa Clara women's soccer fell Thursday afternoon to No. 23 Cal, 1-0. The Bears scored the only goal of midway through the second half.

Dani Weatherholt led the Broncos (9-5-0) with a pair of shots. Andi Tostanoski picked up five saves. The Bears (10-3-2) got their goal from Samantha Witteman and Emily Boyd made three saves.

"We had a great team effort today and were disciplined defensively," said Santa Clara head coach

UCLA, ASU Tie 1-1 in a Scorcher

With temperatures hitting 95 degrees at kickoff, UCLA and Arizona State battled to a 1-1 tie over 110 minutes at Drake Stadium.

Both goals were scored early in the game, with Kodi Lavrusky netting her second goal in as many games at 8:26 to give UCLA the early lead. Lavrusky took a pass from MacKenzie Cerda outside the box and launched a beauty to the upper right corner for her third goal of the year.

UCLA's lead was short-lived, however, as Arizona State tied it up exactly four minutes later on a

UCLA Travels to Washington, WSU

UCLA at Washington
@Seattle, Wash.
Thursday, Oct. 1 - 7:00 pm PT
TV - Pac-12 Networks (Jim Watson, Aly Wagner)
Live Stats - gohuskies.com
Twitter - @uclawsoccer

UCLA at #21 Washington State
@Pullman, Wash.
Sunday, Oct. 4 - 11:00 am PT
TV - Pac-12 Networks (Troy Clardy, Aly Wagner)
Live Stats - wsucougars.com
Twitter - @uclawsoccer

UCLA Travels to Washington
UCLA (5-4, 1-0 in the Pac-12) takes its first conference road trip of the season this week, playing at Washington (7-2-1, 0-1-0) on Thursday, Oct. 1 and at No. 21 Washington State (8-1-0, 1-0-0) on Sunday, Oct. 4. Both matches will be televised live on Pac-12 Networks.

UCLA vs. Washington
UCLA leads the overall series with Washington, 16-3-2, The Bruins won last year’s matchup in Seattle, 6-0. Gabrielle Matulich scored her first career goal in that contest. The Huskies had a six-game winning streak from Aug. 23-Sept. 17 and have been ranked as high as No. 21 in the NSCAA rankings. Shannon Simon leads the team in goals (5), assists (3) and points (13). Goalkeeper Megan Kufeld has posted three shutouts and holds a goals against average of 0.78.

UCLA vs. Washington State
UCLA leads the overall series with Washington State, 16-2-4, and is unbeaten in the last 10 matches. The Cougars’ last victory came in 2004, 1-0, in Pullman. Taylor Smith scored the game-winner in the 48th minute in last season’s matchup, a 1-0 UCLA victory in Pullman.

Washington State, which is ranked 21st in the NSCAA poll and 19th in the Top Drawer Soccer poll,