Bronco Briefs
By Brian Betz
Women's Volleyball
Santa Clara 3, Gonzaga 1
The red-hot Broncos took their game to eastern Washington, where they defeated the Bulldogs of Gonzaga by a tally of 3-1. The Broncos dominated the first two frames by marks of 30-21 and 30-15, respectively, before suprisingly dropping the third game by a score of 30-21. Yet behind junior middle blocker Becky Potter's 17 kills, junior setter Kelli Sousa's 54 assists, and senior outside hitter Cindy Hirsch's match-high 18 digs, the women rallied in the fourth game to take the game and the match. Sophomore outside hitter Megan Johnston, freshman outside hitter Cassie Perret and freshman middle blocker Alyssa Lantz combined for 36 kills in the victory.
Santa Clara 3, Portland 0
In what turned out to be an extremely lopsided victory, Potter surpassed Ynez Carrasco's school record for kills in a three-game match with 27, in addition to her 13 digs and seven blocks. The Hirsch twins combined for 22 digs as the Broncos cruised to their sixth straight win. The victory moves the women to 15-2 overall, with an undefeated mark in the WCC at 4-0. The true test for the squad will come when they return to the Leavey Center this Saturday night at 7 p.m. to face No. 12 Pepperdine.
Men's Soccer
Santa Clara 5, SDSU 1
In their last home match until November, the Broncos notched a convincing win against the Aztecs of San Diego State University. Santa Clara scored early and often, with the first coming in the sixth minute off of an Aztec own goal. The Broncos outshot the Aztecs 10-2 in the second half, with two goals coming off the foot of senior defender Jamil Walker. Senior midfielder Burke Ewers added a penalty kick and sophomore defender Ryan Cochrane scored his first ever collegiate goal to round out the scoring.
Portland 2, Santa Clara 1
In their WCC opener, the Broncos lost a heartbreaker in double-overtime to the Pilots of the University of Portland. Portland's goal in the 32nd minute was matched by Santa Clara freshman midfielder Jason Cunliffe's goal in the 40th minute, knotting the match until extra time. Sophomore goalkeeper Kent Harkness' seven saves weren't enough to hold off the Pilots, who scored just 50 seconds into the second overtime period to seal the win. The men travel next to Spokane, Wash., where they will continue WCC play against Gonzaga on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Women's Soccer
Santa Clara 3, San Diego 0
In the start of their four game homestand, the women defeated University of San Diego, for the fifth time in the last six meetings, behind two goals from sophomore forward Leslie Osborne.
The match not only marked the first of WCC play, but it also saw the return of All-American senior Aly Wagner, who assisted on freshman midfielder Micaela Esquivel's goal in the 10th minute.
Santa Clara 5, San Jose State 0
The women defeated cross-county rival San Jose State on Tuesday night at Buck Shaw Stadium behind two goals from All-American senior midfielder Aly Wagner. The victory gives Santa Clara a 3-0 advantage over San Jose State in the new rivalry series between the athletic departments of the two schools.
After nearly 40 minutes of soccer, sophomore forward Leslie Osborne broke the scoreless tie with her seventh goal on the season. Wagner's two goals pushed her season total to six, while junior forward and Kristi Candau finished the game tied with Osborne for the team lead in goals at seven after scoring the final Santa Clara goal. Freshman midfielder Micaela Esquivel also added her third goal of the season.
The Broncos continue their season this weekend, playing Friday night against Saint Mary's and Sunday afternoon against San Francisco. Both games will be held at Buck Shaw Stadium.
Men's Water Polo
3-1 record at Convergence Tourney
The men took their game to Claremont this past weekend, where they participated in the Convergence Tournament.
The Broncos split their matches on the first day, beating Occidental College 8-5, while losing to Division III, 10th-ranked Whittier College 8-2.
Freshman two meter Whit Gilfillan had a hat trick in the win over Occidental, while freshman utility Marc Hausle and junior utility Logan Gee added two goals apiece.
Gilfillan and sophomore utility Nick Takahashi scored the lone goals for Santa Clara in the loss to Whittier. The score did not reflect the closeness of the match against Whittier, as the Broncos simply could not convert many opportunities around the cage.
On the second day of action, Takahashi was the star with four goals in the 12-6 morning win over Pomona-Pitzer and three goals in a double-overtime win over Chapman University. His third goal in the 5-4 win over Chapman came with just 40 seconds left in the second overtime period.
Sophomore goalkeeper Peter Moore was outstanding all weekend, but especially so in this win, recording 15 saves and five steals.
The Broncos are now 4-0 in overtime games, and the three wins on the weekend improve their overall record to 9-13. Next up for the team is a date against Cal Poly on Oct. 19, at West Valley College in Saratoga.