MORAGA, Calif. – Saint Mary's Men's Soccer scored early, but the Santa Clara Broncos put three unanswered goals in the back of the net for a 3-1 loss in the West Coast Conference opener.
 
The Gaels got the scoring started when Luke Lawrence lofted a pass into the penalty area that caromed off a Santa Clara defender's back, after he had turned to look up expected the ball to go over his head.
 
The Santa Clara keeper expected the same and came out to play the ball. But the deflection off the defender's back landed right next to Wade Muttitt, who put a right-footed shot into the net to make it 1-0 Gaels just 16 seconds into the match.
 
SMC would keep some initial offense pressure going for the first 20 minutes, but things began to flip to Santa Clara's favor from there. The Broncos kept the Gaels from establishing much possession in the Gaels end of the pitch from there. They would play the passing lanes well and keep Saint Mary's from getting many balls through on their passes downfield.
 
The Broncos would have their best scoring opportunity in the 39th minute on a free kick from just outside the penalty area. Their leading scorer Adem Hamadoua fired a right-footed shot that deflected off the Gaels wall and went into the upper left corner of the net, leaving keeper Jack Landreth little change to make a save and tying the game at one apiece.
 
Santa Clara would catch the Gaels defense watching the ball on to the left of their goal while Bronco Jack Civitts was waiting on the right side of it with space. He received a cross-field pass and took his time to blast a right-footed shot past the diving attempt to Landreth's left and made it 2-1 Santa Clara with less than a minute remaining in the half.
 
The visitors stifled the Gaels the second half, and would break through for a third goal in the 65th minute. Hamadaoua lifted a shot that Landreth made a leaping attempt at that initially kept the ball out of the net, but Tyrone Kirunda was there for the put back for a 3-1 Bronco lead.
 
UP NEXT
The Gaels will host the University of San Diego on Saturday, October 7 at 1:00 p.m.