Spring Cleaning at Buck Shaw

Women’s soccer returns to action on the pitchSydney SanchezTHE SANTA CLARAMay 8, 2014

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]inishing out its spring season, the Santa Clara women’s soccer team worked on developing team chemistry and fine-tuning its play against high-quality opponents.Competing against Stanford University and the Sacramento Storm from the Women’s Premier Soccer League, the Broncos came away with a split, falling to the Cardinal 1-0 but regrouping to take down the Storm 2-1.After making it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament this past fall, the Broncos are looking forward to a bright future following their recent success on the field.“One of our main goals for the spring was to build up our new team and have people become confident in their new roles on the field,” said rising junior Ali Jones.Forward Sofia Huerta described the transition the team was able to make during the spring as a work in progress. The rising senior mentioned that the team was “a little rough” and didn’t quite have “togetherness” down quite yet due to the winter break and the newer members on the squad.Closing out the spring season, however, Huerta felt the team came together and was able to improve as it spent more time playing in a competitive atmosphere.Jones agreed that the team made progress in the short campaign.“In our last game of the season, I think our team showed great confidence as we worked together on the field, and definite improvement compared to the first game of the season,” said Jones. “It was easy to tell we had made strides forward in engaging our new team and we were successful in growing together on the field in our new roles.”The Broncos will be without nine players from last year’s squad when they return to action next fall, including Morgan Marlborough and Julie Johnston, who will both be continuing their soccer careers in the National Women’s Soccer League.“It was really hard losing our seniors because they were such amazing players,” said Jones. “But I think that our new team has done a really good job stepping up and filling in their shoes.”Santa Clara is learning to live without those standout seniors.“As a team, we’re ... not focusing on the players we’re losing,” said Huerta. “We’re working on instilling confidence in our new players.”The squad looks forward to a new training program this summer that has the team, including the freshmen, staying at Santa Clara over the summer to work out.“The fall season is always what we’re preparing for,” said Jones. “Although mid-August seems far away, it sneaks up on us fast. We ended the spring season with a lot of improvement from where we started it, and I think we are making really big steps forward with our team.”Jones continued with her enthusiasm about the fall.“I am really excited for the upcoming season,” she said. “We are a really hardworking, competitive group of girls and I think that we will be successful in the upcoming season if we set a goal and put our hearts in it.”While Jones is starting her career as an upperclassman, Huerta is coming to the close of hers.“I’m really looking forward to being a senior and giving my all every game, which I know I will since it’s my last year,” said Huerta. “I can’t wait to just play with my best friends and I’m excited to go out with a bang this year.”The Broncos will begin their fall season this upcoming August. Contact Sydney Sanchez at ssanchez@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852.