MORAGA, Calif. - The Saint Mary's Women's Soccer team took the defending national champions Santa Clara to double overtime in the season finale after honoring their 12 seniors playing their final game as a Gael.
 
SMC had an early opportunity to score as AnnaMaria DiGeronimo made a run up field and juked to the middle of the pitch just outside of the penalty area and tried to set up Suzuna Shibukawa for shot. The Broncos were able to recover defensively to prevent the Gaels from getting off a shot, but it showed there would be opportunities to penetrate the Santa Clara defense on the afternoon.
 
In the 34^th minute the Broncos would get a corner kick, and after playing it short they would put a cross into the six-yard box that deflected off a Gaels defender right to the Broncos Lucy Mitchell. She quickly blasted a shot into the top corner of the net for a 1-0 Gonzaga lead.
 
The Gaels started the second half pushing the tempo offensively and it would pay off in the 51^st minute. DiGeronimo would lead a pass ahead to Alexis Gutierrez and she raced ahead past one defender and around another before firing a right footed shot as she slid down onto the wet field with the ball going into the upper right corner of the goal to tie the game at 1-1.
 
The goal not only evened the score but fired up the Gaels as they looked to have a bit more spring in their step after tying the game. The rest of the half was very evenly played and Gaels would have another scoring opportunity late as DiGeronimo got into the penalty area after a couple of slick moves. She got past another defender to get into the six-yard box but a Broncos defender swooped in late to knock the ball out of play.
 
Overtime would follow as the teams remained tied after 90 minutes. The first overtime was very evenly matched, with each team making sure it didn't give up the golden goal.
 
In the second overtime you could feel the momentum building for the defending champs. Santa Clara had two shots in succession get blocked and it led to a corner kick in the 105^th minute. After the corner was headed off of a Gael and Bronco player, it ended up on the foot of Second-Team All American Alex Loera who put a right-footed shot in the back of the net for the game winner, guaranteeing the Broncos at least a share of the WCC Championship.
 
The Gaels finished with 10 wins for the first time since 2011, their best winning percentage since 2001, received votes in the United Soccer Coaches top 25 for the first time since 2004, and had a player score eight or more goals in junior Suzuna Shibukawa for the first time since 2014. Though the 12 seniors who were honored before the game with the families on hand will move on, there is a lot of young talent for the Gaels who have taken major steps forward as a program under second-year head coach Theresa Romagnolo.

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