Broncos Score Upset Win in Home Opener

Box Score

Feb. 13, 2011

After a less than stellar performance yesterday in their first game of the season, the young Bronco lasxers returned to the Mission Campus to take on the #7 ranked Oregon Ducks on Bellomy Field.   Oregon came with their pressure style of lacrosse which initially threw SCU for a loop but the team got themselves under control and started to take the game away from the Ducks. 

Santa Clara opened the scoring on the map-up with senior attackman  Podesta, Michael converted a feed from junior midfielder  Travis, Jason .  SCU went on the extraman again a minute later and again converted when  Inch, Robbie scored on a feed from fellow freshman  Wheaton, Scott.  Inch ended up with a hat trick for the game with Wheaton dishing out 3 assists on the day.  The first quarter ended with a very pumped up Bronco squad and a 2-0 lead.

Oregon ratcheted up the pressure in quarter 2 and held the Broncos scoreless in the fram while scoring two of their own the know the game 2-2 at halftime.  Freshman faceoff specialist,  Fronsdahl, Scott and junior goalie  Kantola, Luke did their part to keep the Broncos in the game with Fronsdahl winning 5 of 6 first half faceoff and Kantola saving 9 of 11 first half shots on goal.  Fronsdahl would end the game wining 10 of 17 draws and Kantola stopping 17 of 23 of the Oregon missles fired on cage.

Oregon found their stride in the second half.  After freshamn defensive midfielder  Bohnert, Daniel broke the half time tie on another feed from Wheaton, Oregon got on the board at the eight minute mark to tie the contest again.  SCU fired right back with junior  Fitzsimons, Kevin  hitting the back of the net on a feed from freshman AJ Von Massenhausen. Oregon answered 9 seconds later to tie the game at 4-4 before getting a late goal with :38 seconds left to take a  5-4 lead at the break.

The fourth quarter will be one for the memory banks.  After frenzied play by both teams SCU got the equalizer when Inch scored his second of the game on another extraman opportunity.  SCU converted 3 of 4 man ups on the day  Oliveira, Brett whithout yielding a man down goal yet this season.  Inch capped off the SCU scoring with an insurance goal on a feed from sophomore Brett Oliveira to push the lead to 7-5.  Oregon scrambled and had many turnovers down the stretch run and got a bit closer on at goal with 1:29 left in the game but the rock-solid SCU defense was able to hold on for the 7-6 upset victory.

Credit has to be given to the entire defense, led by junior defenders  Baker, Matthew ,  DeLozier, Bennett  and goalie Kantola who shut down the high powered offense of the Ducks today.  

The Broncos hope to continue their winning ways when they travel down to Southern California to take on another two ranked opponents in UC Santa Barbara on Saturday and Loyola Marymount on Sunday.