SAN DIEGO – Santa Clara men's soccer nearly rallied from a two goal deficit against No. 9-ranked San Diego but fell short, losing 2-1 in a West Coast Conference match on Thursday night. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• San Diego (9-1-2, 3-0-0 WCC) scored a goal in each half by Inigo Villaldea and Cesar Bahena to remain undefeated in WCC action.  
• In the waning seconds of the opening half, Mathias Bauer sent a cross into the box that Trevor Dillon attempted a half bicycle kick on.  The errant shot attempt was chested down by Inigo Villaldea in front of the goal and scored as the offsides flag stayed down to give USD a 1-0 lead with one tick remaining on the clock. 
• Prior to the goal, goalkeeper Jack Stoecker kept the Broncos in the game with three solid saves.  He finished with seven in the game.
• Bahena doubled the Toreros lead in the 63rd minute, finding the back of the net as he worked past three defenders and slotted it to the back post.  
• Santa Clara (3-6-3, 0-2-2 WCC) answered with a penalty kick goal by Tyler Tipton in the 72nd minute to cut the deficit in half, 2-1.  The Broncos were granted a PK after Will Wiersdorf was tackled late from behind by a Torero defender inside the box.  Tipton converted the PK, rolling the ball to the right while the USD goalkeeper Donovan Parisian dove the other way.  
• Tipton appeared to get the equalizer on a header in the 85th minute when Parisian grabbed the ball while he was a couple of yards inside the goal line but the play continued.  It was one of three saves in the game for Parisian.  

NOTABLE NUMBERS / GAME NOTES: 

• Santa Clara leads the series 35-18-5.
• The Broncos conceded a goal for the first time in three games after posting back-to-back shutouts against Portland and Saint Mary's. 
• The first goal allowed by Stoecker was his first in the last 255 minutes of action.
• San Diego outshot Santa Clara 20-7 lead by Samy Kanaan with four.  Tipton had a team-high three shots for the Broncos.  Nine of the Torero shots were on frame compared to four for the Broncos.  

HIGHLIGHTS:

Another big save by Stoecker, his third of the half! pic.twitter.com/R4H8NjP0fi

— Santa Clara Men's Soccer (@SCUBroncoSoccer) October 18, 2024

72' | Broncos get one back! Wiersdorf tackled late in the box from behind and Tipton with the PK conversion. pic.twitter.com/tgncrxWqum

— Santa Clara Men's Soccer (@SCUBroncoSoccer) October 18, 2024

POST-GAME COMMENTS:

Head Coach Cam Rast on the team's second half effort:
"That's the good and the tough thing with this team.  The good is that you can never count us out but we also put ourselves in a hole falling behind.  The team fought back and had a couple of looks but things didn't go our way tonight." 

NEXT UP:

• Santa Clara face Pacific on the road on Oct. 26.   

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