Women's Lacrosse Finishes 5th at WCLAs

By Henry Gula

This past weekend, the young Santa Clara Women's Lacrosse club finished fifth in the Women's Collegiate Lacrosse Associates National Championship in Colorado Springs to wrap up a stellar season. The Division I national tournament showcased the top 16 WCLA teams in the country. 

The Broncos entered the tournament as the 12th seed, and beat the fifth, ninth, and second seeded teams on their way to a fifth-place.

The Broncos beat UC Santa Barbara in overtime of the fifth-place game, 14-12. Their finish placed them ahead of the 11 other teams in the tournament, and in fifth overall out of 80 teams in the WCLA division 1 for the 2012 season. 

"It was a comeback season," said sophomore midfielder Victoria Rutherford. "Our freshman class was huge, and we had only three seniors."

Junior Maggie Burke and senior Maria Pestana led the team in their final win. Burke scored six of the 12 goals, and Pestana added two goals and six assists. Pestana was also named to the Division I All-Tournament team. 

The Broncos finished their regular season with an 11-8 record, including a one-goal loss against top seeded Colorado State in late March. 

With 13 freshmen out of the 26 total players on the roster, the Broncos were a very young team. 

"I was worried because we had (graduated) a goalie who had won many awards and also an offender and defender who were both very important. I didn't know what to expect with all the new freshmen," said Rutherford.

The uncertainty was answered early on, as the Broncos began their season with six straight wins, and by mid-March stood at 8-2. They then hit a rough patch, going 3-6 through April. However, upon making the tournament as the 12 seed, the Broncos found their stride and continued to their fifth place finish. 

Rutherford attributed the team's success to their chemistry. "What's so incredible about our team is we were able to mentally stay in it," said Rutherford. 

Next year's squad is looking to build on the success from this past season and perform better in 2013. The freshman class has been fully incorporated into the offensive and defensive strategies, and with only three seniors leaving, the team will enjoy continuity. Also important is the return of freshman goalkeeper Jenna Herzog. 

With another full season of experience, the women will look to continue to establish Santa Clara as a national force among club lacrosse teams and improve on their fifth place finish. 

Contact Henry Gula at hgula@scu.edu.