Re: SCU game, or Never, EVER underestimate Santa Clara

by onetouchfutbol Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:54 pm

KFTC wrote:To be fair, the rivalry with Notre Dame is not as prevalent today as it was 10 years ago. All those players have graduated, and the two schools haven't played as much in the last 10 years as they did from 93-98; I am sure most of those players from back then hold that rivalry near and dear, but I would say the biggest rival of the Pilots of this era is UCLA.

Bringing the topic back to Santa Clara, there are few games more fun to watch than these matchups...UW is the only other one I can think of where the players and fans have a certain level of joy after winning those games, and an unending sense of gut-wrenching exasperation should the team lose. The 8-0 loss was...awful. No doubt about it, and I can't believe you brought it up, Geez. Talk about opening old wounds; I remember everything you described and more, so I am happy and grateful the 2002 Pilots and their senior class were able to avenge themselves in the championship game. It should also be noted Portland had the opportunity to go for the jugular against Santa Clara these past few years when misfortune had befallen the Broncos, but if I recall correctly, the scorelines remained fairly respectable.

Maybe someone could look up the archives and give a list of the teams that have knocked us out of the tourney the most times. In my mind, ND will always be our nemesis because they did it so many times before the first national championship. We whooped on UCLA for our second national championship before that rivalry even really began. Their team did not cause the same kind of suffering or pain in my book.

by UPSoccerFanatic Thu Oct 29, 2009 10:34 pm

While Notre Dame and UCLA have been great rivals, as has been North Carolina, the Santa Clara rivalry has been at the top until the last couple of years when they've been decimated by injuries. What other school has had one of their star defenders flip off the taunting student section while walking off the field after a Santa Clara win at Merlo (with a big smile on her face)? (Her name had something to do with wine and swimming.)

But, that said, the rivalry I really would like to see grow is the Portland-Stanford one. Stanford was ranked #1 when the Pilots ousted them at The Farm in a quarter-final shootout in 2002 (do I have the right year, Geez?). Yes, Stanford ousted us last year, on their field when we were missing our 3 Amigas, 1-0 on a late goal. Right now, I would say that Stanford and Portland are the two premier programs in the country, and they both play the beautiful game. Of course, they're sort of scared to come up here and play us, but who knows, maybe they'll get up their courage and do it sometime soon.

by eProf Thu Oct 29, 2009 11:12 pm

UPSoccerFanatic wrote:
Right now, I would say that Stanford and Portland are the two premier programs in the country, and they both play the beautiful game. Of course, they're sort of scared to come up here and play us, but who knows, maybe they'll get up their courage and do it sometime soon.

Stanford was up here for our home opener in 2005. If I recall, we beat them 3-0, and then went on to have a few more wins that season. Very Happy

by GUPhantom Thu Oct 29, 2009 11:15 pm

Wasn't Stanford was the opening Home Game during the 2005 "As One" Championship Season? Oh Yah....!!! cheers

GO PILOTS!!! BEAT SANTA CLARA!!!

by purple passion Fri Oct 30, 2009 7:24 am

Pilot Nut - - the web address is:

http://media.www.thesantaclara.com/media/storage/paper946/news/2007/10/18/Sports/Injuries.Plaguing.Womens.Soccer-3041012.shtml

5 on the sidelines and 3 with limited playing time...dated 10/18/09.

by Ace Fri Oct 30, 2009 7:54 am

Check the date. 2007. Broncos have most if not all of their players back including Courtney Lewis, Lindsay johnson, Jordan Angelli, Dani Potts and lexi Orand. Watch out. They're capable of knocking out anyone if they pull it together at the right time. Bosio has a flip throw that's dangerous. Throw in a home field and Senior night and we culd be in for a barnburner.

by purple passion Fri Oct 30, 2009 8:06 am

mea culpa. gotta get these glasses changed.

by slick Fri Oct 30, 2009 8:28 am

UPSF:

Yes that quarterfinal at the Farm was Thanksgiving weekend '02; Stanford seeded 1, UP 8 and the consensus (among ourselves and some Cardinal fans) was that the winner that night would go on to capture the title.

Present at that match were several Lady Broncos who had earlier that day clinched their spot in the College Cup.

I can't wait for Sunday--it is supposed to be a perfect weather day and this is my first Pilot match this year. Am looking forward to seeing my first Lady Pilot victory in Santa Clara (I was at the Bluff for that great win over the Broncos on that October-Friday-night-under-the lights in 2005).

How many people from Pilot Nation are making the trip to the Bay Area?

by color me purple Fri Oct 30, 2009 10:19 am

We will be there. Myself, my husband and my daughter who attends school in the bay area aer driving down for the game. We wouldn't miss this one for the world. And we will be proudly be wearing as much purple as possible!

by slick Fri Oct 30, 2009 5:07 pm

OK p.r., see you there on Sunday.

Definitely will have a large Purple-clad contingent; always a great following of UP alums, friends, supporters and just plain FANS for these Bay Area matches.

Anxious to see Buck Shaw Stadium, this is the Ladies' first appearance there since it was reconfigured for the "return" of the Earthquakes.

GO PILOTS!!!!!

by onetouchfutbol Fri Oct 30, 2009 6:10 pm

If I remember right, Stanford was actually the team that knocked us out of the tourney once or twice the first time the women's team ever made the tourney with Milbrett. It seems like our rivalry with them has come full circle.

by Guest Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:00 pm

From the O:

Game day: No. 2 Portland at No. 14 Santa Clara
By Aaron Fentress, The Oregonian
October 31, 2009, 10:00AM
What: NCAA Division I women's soccer

When: 2 p.m. Sunday

Where: Buck Shaw Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif.

Records: Pilots 16-1, 5-0 West Coast Conference; Broncos 10-5-1, 4-1

On the air: TV on Fox Soccer Channel (Comcast 401, available only as part of premium digital cable service)

Briefly: The Pilots jumped one spot to No. 2 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll. North Carolina (12-3-1) fell from No. 2 to No. 6. Stanford (17-0) remained No. 1. UCLA (14-2-1) is No. 3, Florida State (13-2-1) is No. 4, and Notre Dame (14-3-1) is No. 5. ...

The Pilots held steady at No. 3 in the Ratings Percentage Index. North Carolina remained No. 2 despite losing twice last weekend, 3-2 to Florida State and 1-0 to Miami {7-8}. The Pilots defeated Miami 2-0 this season. ...

The Broncos are No. 13 in the RPI. "If we were to win our next two games and Portland was to win their last one, technically we would be co-champions with Portland," Santa Clara coach Jerry Smith told santaclarabroncos.com. "But in terms of the automatic qualifying bid, it would go to us with the head-to-head tiebreaker." ... Kate Beaudoin, a freshman forward from Jesuit, has played in two games this season for the Broncos. ...

The Pilots' next home game will be the regular-season finale Friday against San Diego (8-5-2, 4-1). The Toreros are No. 61 in the RPI and beat Santa Clara 1-0 last Sunday. ... Selection and seeding for the NCAA Tournament will be completed Nov. 9. The Pilots appear to have a good shot at playing at home the first two rounds because several other regional teams are in line to make the 64-team tournament, such as Portland State (8-6-2), Oregon State (9-4-1), Washington (9-2-3) and Washington State (10-3-1). The Beavers are No. 26 in the RPI. The Cougars are No. 22 and the Huskies are No. 31. The Vikings are No. 130 in the RPI. ...

The Pilots lead the nation in goals per game (4.06) and have outscored their WCC opponents 30-1. Santa Clara's 1.39 goal per game average ranks fourth in the conference.

-- Aaron Fentress

by '78 Alum Sat Oct 31, 2009 3:18 am

purple passion wrote:Pilot Nut - - the web address is:

http://media.www.thesantaclara.com/media/storage/paper946/news/2007/10/18/Sports/Injuries.Plaguing.Womens.Soccer-3041012.shtml

5 on the sidelines and 3 with limited playing time...dated 10/18/09.

This is an article from 2007, not 2009. See the issue date. The article references a tie with Stanford, and a loss to UCLA. This year they were beaten by Stanford 6-2, and they didn't play UCLA.

by onetouchfutbol Sat Oct 31, 2009 9:20 am

Huh. I'd be pretty surprised to see Portland State in the tourney. 8-6-2 with an RPI of 130? Really? How does The Oregonian writer see them getting in? Oregon State has just one more win, but, a much much better RPI in the tough Pac-10.

by purple haze Sat Oct 31, 2009 9:38 am

PSU just won the Big Sky Conference title and will host the Big Sky tournament, according to the Oregonian. Does winning the conference title and/or winning the tournament automaticaly qualify the Vikings?

by Harry Redknapp Sat Oct 31, 2009 10:33 am

I'm pretty sure that Big Sky tournament winner gets automatic berth. So go Vikings!

by SoreKnees Sat Oct 31, 2009 10:59 am

Anybody know where the tournament games will be held? The PSU soccer field has no seating. Will they play at Delta Park-Strasser? Somewhere else?

by Stonehouse Sat Oct 31, 2009 11:03 am

HK is right - the Big Sky tournament winner goes automatically. So Go Viks indeed!

And OTF (aka AJ) is right about Stanford eliminating the Pilots the first time they made the tournament... I went to the game (a 5-2 loss to Julie Foudy's Cardinal team) after riding on a rooter bus full of Pilot fans.

I was only about 10 so my details might be way off, but from what I remember this was when the tournament only invited something like 16 teams and Portland had been seriously snubbed the previous year. So when they finally got an invite the following year, everyone was really excited and full of rightful indignation... I remember all of us wearing purple "Veritas vos Liberabit" (I think that was the right Latin phrase) buttons. And again, these details may be off, but I seem to remember Portland jumping out to a 2-0 lead before Stanford really layed the hammer down. But despite the loss, good times were had by all... definitely a memorable childhood experience.

by Geezaldinho Sat Oct 31, 2009 11:40 am

We lost to them the next year 0-1 in the tourney.

But since then, we have beaten them 3 times and advanced on PK's once (2002 when they were ranked #1). The only blemish was last year when we had Kendra and the Tres Amigas out.

by Geezaldinho Sat Oct 31, 2009 11:41 am

Harry Redknapp wrote:I'm pretty sure that Big Sky tournament winner gets automatic berth. So go Vikings!

That is correct.

by runner girl Sat Oct 31, 2009 2:25 pm

I'm pretty sure Portland State plays their home games at PGE Park.

by A_Fan Sat Oct 31, 2009 2:35 pm

From the PSU website:

"The tournament semifinals will begin Nov. 6 at 1:30 p.m., with seed No. 3 versus seed No. 2 and the second semifinal will begin at 4 p.m., with the No. 4 team versus the host Vikings. After a day of rest Saturday, the winner of both matches will square off for a automatic berth for the NCAA Tournament at 11 a.m. All matches will be played at PCC - Rock Creek."

by fozziewozzie Sat Oct 31, 2009 9:20 pm

runner girl,
actually psu plays their games at delta park, its a synthetic turf field i believe is called strasser field.
wow! i cant believe that the psu website sez that the games will be played at pcc rockcreek?!! why would after the entire year the psu games be played at a satelite community college campus? dumbfounding!

by Geezaldinho Sat Oct 31, 2009 9:54 pm

fozziewozzie wrote:runner girl,
actually psu plays their games at delta park, its a synthetic turf field i believe is called strasser field.
wow! i cant believe that the psu website sez that the games will be played at pcc rockcreek?!! why would after the entire year the psu games be played at a satelite community college campus? dumbfounding!

PCC Rock Creek is their home field. They played 7 home games there this year. I think it's a grass field, which I believe they prefer after their bad experience with the old PGE park NexTurf which was hard as a rock. I think we wouldn't play at PGE any more, and now that they switched to the nicer FieldTurf, the Timbers and Football teams take up much of the playing time.

Concordia plays at Delta Park. PSU did play one game there this year, but that was to play Concordia.

PSU has also played at the Tualatin Hills rec center ( though not his year), and a time or two at the Turf field behind the Stott Center. They compete with the Football program for that venue, so guess who wins most of the time.

They probably had scheduling issues with all those venues. Those are all favorites for local club programs and I know the waiting list can be a year or more.

by **PilotNut** Sun Nov 01, 2009 1:13 am

Back to the SCU game...

Preview from The O: LINK

Reminder: Viewing party at Costellos Travel Caffe, on NE Broadway.

GO PILOTS!