Bronco fan eager for winter win

By Cecile Nguyen

I didn't know broncos go into hibernation.

But apparently Santa Clara Broncos do just that in the fall.

It was a tough fall season for Santa Clara sports fans to follow.

Both soccer programs couldn't buy a win.

Men's soccer finished with a record of 4-9-7 overall and a 2-5-5 record in the West Coast Conference. They earned seventh place, dead last, in the conference.

They were so bad that Santa Clara athletics' official Web site listed them at eighth out of a possible seven in the conference.

Women's soccer snapped their 19-year streak of making it to the NCAA tournament.

They had an overall record of 4-12-4 and had only one win in conference play.

Surprisingly, the women's team finished in sixth place in the WCC with a 1-4-2 conference record.

Santa Clara has been known in the past for its strong soccer programs, but to have both teams do so badly the same year got me thinking that perhaps the renovated Buck Shaw is cursed.

Santa Clara volleyball also had a difficult year, as they were bounced in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. They also finished with a disappointing tie for fourth place in the conference.

The lone bright stop was the men's water polo team. They started the season on a tear but finished in fourth place in the Western Water Polo Association for the third consecutive year.

But it is a new quarter. A new start. And because the Broncos went into early hibernation, perhaps they can get a jump start on their opponents this time around.

I'm optimistic about this winter sports season. Well, at least I'm optimistic about men's basketball, seeing how over the break the women's team compiled a 2-14 record.

Also over break, former men's basketball head coach Dick Davey made his first return to Santa Clara when the Broncos took on his Stanford Cardinal on Dec. 23. Davey's signature argyle sweater was visibly absent, as he and fellow Cardinal coaches wore matching suits.

Stanford defeated Santa Clara 77-69.

Men's basketball all-time leading scorer Kurt Rambis also had a homecoming when his jersey was retired at the Broncos' opening game of the Cable Car Classic.

"Thanks to each and every one of my teammates for passing me the ball so I can get points and thanks for shooting so I can get the rebounds," Rambis joked during his speech at the ceremony on Dec. 29.

Here's hoping that some of Rambis' success will rub off on the Broncos, because I don't think I can take any more losing.