Oct. 24, 2008

Box Score

Los Angeles, CA - Sophomore Julie Gallaudet led the way with two goals as LMU (8-5-3, 3-1-0) defeated Santa Clara (4-10-3, 1-2-1) for only the third time in its history, 2-1, Friday at Sullivan Field in a West Coast Conference matchup. Gallaudet scored her fourth and fifth goals of the season in a game that started slowly but finished with the Lions snapping a seven-game winless streak against the Broncos.

LMU controlled the ball at the beginning of the game, but neither team got off a shot in the first 13 minutes of play. The Lions created the first good scoring chance of the game in the 22nd minute when junior Kim Feeney stole the ball at midfield and passed it ahead to Gallaudet. She split two Bronco defenders and beat them to the ball leaving only the goalie to beat, which she did with a shot to the bottom left corner of the goal to give LMU the lead.

Two minutes later, sophomore Lily Sorentino had a scoring opportunity of her own, but her shot barely missed, hitting the side of the net as she tried to hook it in the corner. Other than that, the first half passed without many good chances for either team.

The Broncos came out firing in the second half, attempting 11 of their 15 shots for the game. They had a shot from Lexi Orand go just wide of the goal less than three minutes into the second half. In the 59th minute, the Broncos had a goal wiped off the scoreboard as Maxine Goynes headed off the crossbar from a corner. A scramble ensued in the box and the ball finished in the back of the net but was disallowed as the referee whistled Santa Clara for a foul.

However, as Santa Clara pushed the pace it left them vulnerable on defense and once again it was Gallaudet taking advantage. She had three great chances in the half. The first two snuck past the goal wide. Gallaudet was not going to be denied a third time, though, and in the 76th minute she took swift low cross from Sorentino and struck it from the box just under the crossbar and in for a 2-0 LMU lead. The assist was Sorentino's seventh of the season, setting a new career-high and moving her into a tie for third on the LMU single-season record list. Her 13 career assists now place her in a tie for fifth at LMU.

"Julie [Gallaudet] just keeps getting better and better for us," Head Coach Joe Mallia said. "She has really come in to her own over the last few games."

Trailing by two goals, the Broncos did not lie down. Less than two minutes after Gallaudet's second goal, they cut the Lions' lead in half on a volley by Anessa Patton off a cross from the left from Orand.

From there, junior keeper Allyssa Clark and the LMU defense clamped down and kept Santa Clara from tying the game. Clark made five saves during the match while Meagan McCray had one save for the Broncos.

The win extends LMU's unbeaten streak at home to 17 games and gives LMU its first victory over Santa Clara since 2000. That streak will once again be tested on Sunday when they play #19 San Diego. A win in that game would push the Lions into a tie for second place in the WCC. The game on Sunday will be played at 1 p.m. at Sullivan Field.

- GO LIONS -