Broncos Still Hungry for Hardware After a Hard-Fought Loss

Santa Clara women’s soccer falls to BYU but has their eyes set on a championship season 

After starting the season with five consecutive wins, the Santa Clara women’s soccer team lost on Wednesday night for the first time in 2021. The team’s second matchup in as many weeks against No. 17 Brigham Young University (BYU) was another 2-1 affair, but this time in favor of BYU.

Izzy D’Aquila, the reigning West Coast Conference (WCC) Freshman of the Year, got the scoring started in the 5’ to put the Broncos up 1-0. The first goal of the game, scored by a beautiful throwball from Kelsey Turnbow, was historic. 

With her assist, Turnbow became the eighth Santa Clara Bronco to record 25 goals and 25 assists in her collegiate career. Turnbow, with 41 goals and 25 assists in her four years at Santa Clara, is the first Bronco to reach the “25/25” milestone since Leslie Osborne did so 2003. 

Despite the Broncos’ momentous goal to begin the game, BYU was able to settle the storm and quickly respond in the 11’ to tie the score at 1-1. From that point on, it was a defensive battle. Both teams earned every inch of space, with intense neutral zone pressure from both squads.

BYU scored again in the 57’ to break the tie and take a 2-1 lead that stood until the final whistle.  

Wednesday’s loss marked the first time all season the Broncos’ powerful offense scored less than two goals.

“They are a talented team,” Broncos junior Skylar Smith said of BYU. “The game definitely exposed some of our weaker areas. But in the long run, this [loss] will help us… We have a great opportunity to be conference champs this year, and we plan to learn from our mistakes.”

Santa Clara, the No. 9 team in the country, have outscored their opponents 15-6. Their offense has been one of NCAA’s best, led by Turnbow and D’Aquila who have accounted for 10 of the team’s goals.

Turnbow has been able to build off of her 2019 career year that saw the forward record 40 points. She was selected 18th overall by the Chicago Red Stars in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) last fall. With six goals in as many matches already this season, she is making Chicago’s draft choice seem like a steal.

The rest of the Broncos’ offensive front is layered with skilled forwards that can score at any given time. Sophomore Izzy D’Aquila ranks second on the team with four goals. Juniors Kaile Halvorsen and Skylar Smith, sophomore Keren Goor and senior Julie Doyle have all found the back of the net this year. 

Head coach Jerry Smith alluded to his team’s deep roster and resilience when referencing recent wins over Pepperdine and Pacific. 

In the team’s recent 4-3 comeback win over Pepperdine, the Broncos fought back to tie the game on three separate occasions before defeating the Waves in double overtime.

“To have the game tied three times and have to go into overtime and still come away with a win took a lot of teamwork and showed the depth of our team,” said  Smith.

While the Broncos’ game against Pacific was not as close, the result was the same: a win. Earlier this week, Santa Clara dominated Pacific by a score of 4-0, thus allowing Smith to empty his bench and play 19 total Broncos, a season high. 

“I'm really happy that so many players got to get into the game and make their debuts [against Pacific]," Smith said after the game. “Not only did a lot of players see time, they played really well.”

In a season like no other, the Broncos have relied on each other on and off-the-field more than ever. Team members reside in a quarantined “bubble” while playing home games at Stevens Stadium in front of no fans. The adjustment has been arduous, but the players are focused on the job at hand: win the WCC and make a deep run in this year’s national tournament. 

“We are all just grateful that we get a season, even if it isn’t our usual [Fall] quarter,” Skylar Smith explained. “We have a great opportunity to be conference champs this year, and I’m confident that everyone on the team is going to do their job on Saturday to keep us in that position.” 

The Broncos turnaround is quick, as the women’s next game comes on Saturday against another intraconference foe in San Francisco. With only three conference games remaining in the regular season, the team knows the added importance of each match.