Nov. 9, 1997

No. 10 Stanford Falls To Santa Clara 5-1

Cardinal Next Face UCLA for the MPSF Championship

The 10th-ranked Stanford men's soccer team fell 5-1 to Santa Clara (10-7-0) in its final regular season game of the 1997 season. The five goals was the most scored against Stanford since a 5-0 loss to Oregon State in 1995, a span of 43 games.

The Cardinal had allowed just six goals all season entering the game with the Broncos. Despite the loss, Stanford (13-3-2) still finished with its best regular season record since 1978 (16-5-0).

The 13 wins ties the '97 squad for the third-highest win total in school history. Stanford, the '97 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Mountain Division champions, will now prepare for the MPSF Championship Game - a meeting with Pacific Division champion UCLA in Los Angeles on Sunday, November 16. The winner will claim the conference title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Santa Clara didn't waste any time in working to the Stanford goal. Threatening early and often, the Broncos broke through with the first goal of the game just 2:27 after the opening kick. Bronco senior midfielder Derrick Harris broke down the left sideline with the ball, angling his way into the box and eventually placing the ball into the far post for the early lead. Stanford nearly responded just minutes later, missing on a Simon Elliott blast that stayed wide left.

The Cardinal defense began to settle in and began to slow down the Santa Clara attack, limiting the Broncos to only three more shots in the half, all coming from more than 15 yards out. In the 34th minute, Stanford freshman forward Corey Woolfolk (Ann Arbor, MI/Pioneer HS) knotted the game at one apiece, taking a cross from junior defender Jamie Clark (Hanover, NH/North Carolina) and slipping the ball through the Bronco goalie's legs from six yards out.

After the intermission, the Cardinal came out sharp and looked to have the momentum. However, a defensive breakdown shortly before the 47:00 mark led to the first of three Santa Clara goals in a 15 minute span that sealed the victory for the Broncos.

The Cardinal would find a few more opportunities to get back in the contest, but to no avail. The Bronco defense held and eventually increased its lead to 5-1 in the 67 minute.

"That's the way it goes sometimes," said Stanford head coach Bobby Clark. "You can't make mistakes in the back against a good team. I think we played forward quite well, but once you get behind, you begin to force it a little and that can leave you open in the back. We've just got to pick ourselves up for a big one next week. I'm looking forward to it."

SCORING
                1   2   T   
#10 Stanford    1   0   1
Santa Clara     1   4   5
Santa Clara:    Harris (Artiach)     2:27
Stanford:       Woolfolk (Clark)    34:02
Santa Clara:    Ascolese (Totten)   46:57
Santa Clara:    Rodopolous (Temkin) 50:56
Santa Clara:    Goehring (Harris)   58:23
Santa Clara:    Ascolese (Goehring) 67:47

Shots: Santa Clara 12, Stanford 6
Corner Kicks: Stanford 4, Santa Clara 2
Saves: Zapala (Stanford) 2, Cannon (Santa Clara) 1

CAUTIONS AND EJECTIONS
Santa Clara: Artiach (Yellow) 21:27
Stanford: Vandevelde (Yellow) 40:47

Stanford University Men's Soccer