April 6, 2003

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara women's waterpolo team hosted their first-ever alumni game Saturday, as former players from all over California, and even one Oregonian, rolled in to Leavy pool for a friendly competition with the current team.

In attendance were Sarah Ginn ('99) Lara Williams, Kristy Kunasaki, Shannon Von Lehr, Christine Dindia, Darcy Casanelli, and Carrie Polhemus ('00) Liz Schurict and Kim Yost ('01), Sara Schmitt and Katrina Osland ('02), and Emily Abbott ('03).

The alumni, coached by Andy Sikic ('00), were pumped up to be back in the water and they really set the tone for the game with an enthusiastic pre-game cheer of "mule or no mule...we're still cuter" (which makes sense to those SCU waterpolo insiders).

Sarah Schmitt led the goal scoring for the alumni team with three goals, while Kim Yost and Sarah Ginn each added two. Also making a strong showing was goalie Carrie Polhemus, who was blocking for the alumni the entire game.

For the current Broncos, freshman Bryn Asher and senior Elizabeth Glotzbach scored three times each, while sophomores Katy Shumm and Allison Stover and freshman Kathleen Hamm added a goal apiece, leading to a final score of 9-7, with the current team coming out ahead.

But this game wasn't really about the score. 2000 graduate Lara Willams commented that "It says a lot about Santa Clara that traditions like this can get started. SCU athletics isn't just about playing a sport for 4 years, but making connections with other people and to the school."

The game was a great excuse for the alumni to revisit Santa Clara and their old teammates, but it was also special to the players that are still here. Senior co-captain Becky Hong noted that, "It meant a lot that so many alumns came back for the game. It was great for everybody to see each other again and have a chance to catch up." Yost added that, "Hopefully this will become a tradition that we can look forward to every year."