CLAREMONT, Calif. – Villanova used a defensive stand to keep Santa Clara off the board in the third quarter to create distance for an 11-5 victory on Saturday.
Kaysie Stuba led Villanova (10-8) with her second hat trick in as many games. The Wildcats held Santa Clara (3-11) scoreless in the third period, keeping them in a scoring deficit of exactly two periods from the second to the fourth quarters.
"Good second half on defense," head coach
Larry Sanders said. "Only gave up one goal."
Stella Byles put Villanova on the board first just 20 seconds into the game. Nearly a minute later, Santa Clara found an answer on a tally from Chloe Morisson to even the game at one.
Kaysie Stuba pushed the Wildcats back ahead at the five-minute mark but the Broncos capitalized on a powerplay thanks to Morisson once again, making it 2-2 through the first quarter.
Santa Clara found momentum early in the second period with Mia Battilega netting a powerplay goal before Lauren Baglietto made it a two goal game at 4-2 with 5:46 left in the half. Stuba brought the 'Cats back within one with a heave from deep with a little over four minutes remaining.
Adrienne Grimes made it a tied affair with a quick look in front of the net at 4-4.
Emily McKenzie broke the tie at the 1:36 mark with a no-look, behind-the-back shot, giving Villanova a 5-4 lead heading into the break.
Stuba and
Emily Morrissey extended the 'Cats run to 5-0 well into the third quarter to make it 7-4. The run continued into the backstretch of the frame with a powerplay goal from Byles. The Broncos made a shot as time expired but
Abigial Shelby came up with the stop to keep Santa Clara off the board for the quarter.
The Broncos netted their first goal in exactly two periods of play with a powerplay shot from Battilega at the 5:46 mark of the fourth, making it an 8-5 lead for the Wildcats. Villanova went on a 3-0 scoring run from that point to close out the contest with goals from
Lauren Picard, Grimes and McKenzie.
Stuba led the team with six shots, scoring on half of those. Byles, Grimes and McKenzie all logged multi-goal days in the victory, scoring two each. Styles grabbed a season-high five steals with
Amelia Baca close behind with four, also a season-high. In goal, Shelby made nine saves, one of those during a Bronco powerplay. The Wildcat offense forced Santa Clara keeper Liyara Senadheera into nine saves.
The Wildcats finish up their west coast trip against Whittier at 3:45 p.m. from the Axelrood Pool.
