Remembering soccer champions

By Cecile Nguyen

Leaning on her crutches, Veronica Zepeda could only watch from the sidelines as the game clock ever so slowly reached the 90-minute mark at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Highland Park, Texas.

With a 1-0 lead over the 17-time national champions, North Carolina, just seconds separated Zepeda and Santa Clara from the first women's NCAA title in school history.

The soccer dynasty that is North Carolina had been ranked No. 1 since preseason and had a flawless record of 24-0 until the night of Dec. 7, 2001.

The Tar Heels, the Goliath to the Broncos' David, were playing in their 20th national championship game. Santa Clara was making its very first appearance in the College Cup Finals.

Zepeda, who was unable to play much in the championship game because of an injury, watched as the Broncos stormed the field in celebration of Santa Clara's first major women's title.

But she must have known that even with the few minutes of action she did see that night, she had played a major role in earning the women's soccer team's first ever NCAA crown.

"Veronica played little in the final because her shins were so bad," Head Coach Jerry Smith said. "But her sheer will and toughness helped us win our first national championship."

For the Santa Clara women's soccer program, 2001 was a magical year. But while everyone celebrated the national title won that December, few knew the tale of Zepeda and her heroic role in the Broncos' comeback win in the semifinal match over the University of Florida.

Some believe she provided the psychological boost that the Broncos needed to win the national title.

Though 2001 marked Santa Clara's 13th consecutive NCAA appearance, the Broncos had compiled a 0-7 record in semifinal matches. Florida, on the other hand, had won its only previous semifinal game.

The 2001 matchup between Florida and Santa Clara was a repeat of the 1998 semifinal game, when the Gators knocked Santa Clara out on the way to Florida's first and only national title.

The Broncos hoped that in 2001, the roles would be reversed.

Smith believed that Santa Clara's inability to reach the title game had little to do with talent, experience or luck. Instead, it had to do with the team's toughness and heart.

But in 2001, the semifinal game would prove to be different.

Zepeda scored the game's first goal late in the first half with an assist from Aly Wagner, one of college soccer's premier passers.

Zepeda and Florida's goalkeeper were running to a loose ball, but Zepeda reached it first and sent the ball past the charging keeper into the net for the 1-0 lead.

Leslie Osborne knocked in a Wagner free kick to extend Santa Clara's lead in the 77th minute for the game's second goal.

With less than 10 minutes left in the game and a two-goal lead still intact, Santa Clara's confidence was high.

Perhaps this was finally the year the Broncos would win a semifinal game and make it to the title match.

But over the span of the game's final seven minutes, things quickly turned sour for the Broncos.

Crystal Frimpong scored for the Gators in the 84th minute, and freshman Katie Johnson tied the game with a header two minutes later. It was Johnson's first career goal and could not have been timelier for the Gators.

"It was our eighth trip to the final four, and we just couldn't get over the hump," Smith said. "I thought we were finally going to win, but then Florida scored two goals and all of a sudden we were headed to overtime. I thought we were snake bitten. We have lost in the semifinals in just about every way conceivable and now it was beginning to appear we were going to find another way."

Florida's head coach, Beck Burleigh, thought the same thing.

"We never really gave up," Burleigh told reporters after the game.

"Our team really dug deeper after Santa Clara went up 2-0, and going into overtime, we thought it was ours to win."

As the game headed into overtime, the Broncos were indeed deflated. But all that did was set up Zepeda's valiant return to the field.

After scoring the game's initial goal, Zepeda had been sitting on the bench because of shin splints, a condition triggered by overuse. Still, she was itching to get back into the game.

The midfielder put on her shin guards and pulled up her socks. She walked over to Smith and was determined to get back in the game despite her injury.

"She went up to me and said 'If you put me in the game, we'll win and go to the championship,'" Smith recalled.

Zepeda then went over to the doctors to plead her case.

"They (the doctors) told me that if she plays then she might not be able to play in the championship game," Smith said.

"I said to them, 'If we don't win then we don't play in the championship.'"

Zepeda won the case and was put back into the game.

The sophomore made good on her promise just three minutes into overtime.

Jessica Ballweg saw Zepeda unmarked at the top of the circle and sent a pass to her. Then Zepeda fired a shot high. The ball hit the top crossbar but then deflected into the net.

The game was over. Santa Clara won 3-2.

The Broncos had finally done it. They had driven through their semifinal wall and were set to play in their first ever College Cup Final match thanks in part to Zepeda's gallant efforts.

Contact Cecile Nguyen at (408) 551-1918 or sports@thesantaclara.com.