MORAGA, Calif. - It all comes down to this; Saint Mary's has played their way into a shot at their first ever WCC title on Saturday as they head to the South Bay to take on 11th ranked Santa Clara in the regular season finale. The league standings became even more bunched and complicated after Wednesday's matches as seven teams mathematically still have a chance at the league title with one game to play.
The Gaels conclude the regular season against two of the top teams in the conference and after earning a hard fought draw with 22nd ranked Pepperdine, they keep their postseason hopes alive heading into Saturday's match against the Broncos. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 PM and you can catch all the action live on ESPN+.
GAME COVERAGE
GAELS OUTLOOK
What a season it's been for head coach
Theresa Romagnolo and her squad as they've been one of the hottest teams over the last month of the season and will enter Saturday's match on a five-game unbeaten streak, posting a 3-0-2 record during that stretch. The Gaels offense has come alive and they've been one of the best defensive teams in the conference, allowing just five goals in their last eight matches dating back to October 2nd.
After their 1-1 draw with Pepperdine on Wednesday, the Gaels saw some matches go their way and others hurt them to set up a suspenseful final day of WCC action. Santa Clara scored a late goal against San Diego to salvage a point while Oregon State fell to Washington State to bring the top of the league closer to the rest of the field. However, Gonzaga, Washington State and LMU all picked up victories to put themselves within three points of the top spot. Portland sits at 12 points in eighth place but depending on Saturday's results, the Gaels could finish anywhere between first and eighth place.
Saint Mary's has tied their program record for most points in a conference season with 15, the last time they finished with 15 points was in 2001 with a WCC record of 5-2-0 under Paul Ratcliffe. Their best WCC finish was third place four different times but most recently in 2003 so they will have an opportunity to make plenty of history with a win and some favorable results from across the WCC on Saturday.
Historically, Santa Clara has had the upper hand as Saint Mary's has not recorded a win over the Broncos since 2000 and have just three wins in the series history. This is also the highest ranking for the Broncos when facing the Gaels since 2018 when they were ranked 7th in the country. Romagnolo and her squad will be more than up for the challenge though with a stout defensive backline anchored by
Khalia Gathright and
Amari Hicks and an effective duo up top with
Tessa Salvestrin and
Sydney Middaugh who have combined for 12 goals on the year.
ABOUT SANTA CLARA (WCC)
The WCC title is coming down to the wire as Santa Clara sits in a tie at the top of the standings with Pepperdine, both teams with 18 points, as the Broncos are seeking their fourth league title in the last five seasons. Santa Clara has continued to stand as one of the premier west coast soccer programs with 32 NCAA Tournament appearances and nine straight dating back to 2015. The Broncos have two national titles to their name as well, both coming under head coach Jerry Smith in 2001 and 2020.
This season, the Broncos enter the final week of conference play with an impressive 11-3-4 overall record and a 5-1-3 WCC record, tied with Oregon State in first place. Santa Clara got off to a great start with a 6-1 record securing key wins over Cal, Washington and UC Davis. They would start conference play undefeated through the first seven games, going 5-0-2 during that stretch.
Despite their dominant conference success, the Broncos would stumble over the last two weeks picking up their first loss against Oregon State and then a crucial 1-1 draw with San Diego earlier this week. As a result, seven teams are still in contention for the league title heading into the regular season finale on Saturday. A win over Saint Mary's would clinch at least a share of the title and their tenth straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Broncos are led by Kennedy Schoennauer who has ten goals, good for second most in the conference. Eight other Broncos have multiple goals on the season and Sally Menti leads the league with seven assists.
Saturday's game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and tickets can be bought online at smcgaels.com. Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
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