Men's soccer secures WCC title
By Joe Doss-Antoun
There are two conference games left on the schedule, but the men's soccer team has already clinched its first West Coast Conference title since 2003.
The Broncos did so in convincing fashion this past weekend, as they defeated San Diego 2-1 and followed with a 2-0 shutout over Loyola Marymount.
On the same day as their victory over LMU, the Broncos got help from a friendly foe, when Gonzaga edged out San Francisco in overtime, ending any potential threat that the Dons might overtake first place.
"We were really psyched going into the LMU game because we knew it was an important game for us, and then we ended up clinching WCC too," said senior forward Keith DeVey.
Santa Clara has won the WCC nine times, a mark that is only surpassed by USF's 11 conference titles.
"It's the benchmark we've set all year," said head coach Cameron Rast, about winning the conference championship. "But in the end it's only a means to the goal we're really trying to achieve, and that's to win the national championship."
When the Broncos last won the WCC, they also reached the Final Four of the College Cup. However, there are only two players that remain from that team -- DeVey and Erik Ustruck.
DeVey also believes that there are similarities between this year's team and the 2003 team.
"We both built momentum heading into the tournament which is one of the main reasons I think we did so well. We're definitely peaking at the right time, just like we did then," said DeVey.
After dropping an early conference loss to LMU, the Broncos eventually found their rhythm and haven't looked back since, accumulating 20 points in eight conference matches, a burst good enough to put them comfortably in the driver's seat.
"After the first round of WCC play we knew we had things to prove and we ended up going undefeated the rest of the way," said DeVey.
Sophomore forward Jide Ogunbiyi believes that all the team needed was time and experience playing with one another.
"In the beginning of the season we tied some games and lost some games we shouldn't have lost," said Ogunbiyi. "Now, we're starting to play with a lot more chemistry on the field."
With the conference title, the Broncos have earned an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament, which begins Nov. 10. This will mark the Broncos' 17th season participating in the NCAA tournament, but their only national championship came in 1989.
However, before thinking about another national championship, the Broncos, who are ranked 11th in the Adidas National Rankings, must focus on closing out the regular season, which includes the remainder of their conference schedule. If the Broncos can win out, it will only improve their NCAA seed in the tournament.
Of the 48 teams that compete in the NCAA tournament, 23 earn automatic bids through conference championships, while the other 25 are voted in by the NCAA tournament committee.
"Last year we didn't get the automatic bid so we were really nervous during the selection show. This year, we got the automatic bid so we'll be a lot more excited when we watch," said DeVey.
With a 7-1-2 conference record, the Broncos also have a chance to tie the WCC record for most wins in a season. Two more wins would tie the conference mark of nine, set by USF in 2004.
With much at stake in the final week of conference play, the Broncos look for a big finish to a great regular season.
Contact Joe Doss-Antoun at (408) 551-1918 or jdossantoun@scu.edu.