March 11, 2006
Santa Barbara, Calif. - It was a good day for Lindsey Bacolini.
Despite playing three games in one day, the senior co-captain lifted her team to a 2-1 record at the UC Santa Barbara Tournament with a team-leading six goals on the day. Santa Clara outlasted Redlands 11-10 in double overtime, followed by an easy 9-3 triumph over Marist. The day ended with a tough 10-6 loss to No. 14 and host UC Santa Barbara.
Santa Clara ups its season record to 11-6 and will return to action next Saturday when it hosts Princeton at the Leavey Center Pool. Game time is set for 1 p.m.
"Overall, it was a productive weekend. Three games in one day was challenging, but pulling out a close game to start off the day was really good for team confidence and playing UC Santa Barbara will only make us better," said head coach Keith Wilbur.
In the first game, Santa Clara battled Redlands to a 8-8 tie at the end of four quarters, pushing the contest to overtime. However, one extra period of play did not determine a winner, as a second overtime was pushed after each team scored a goal. Christie Miller scored a goal to put her squad up by one, but then Redlands came back with a goal to tie it up at 10-10. Katie Radvanyi drew a four-meter penalty shot, in which Bacolini converted to net the game winner. Bacolini ended up with four goals in the game, while Elizabeth Perry and Amy Lamb each netted two apiece. In addition, Emily Bonk and Claire Linney each put the ball through the net to account for the final margin. In the cage, Kristin Barnes played excellent defense, posting nine blocks and one steal.
"It was a tough game. Redlands came out really strong. It was a high-scoring affair, but we were able to win it when it was close, so it was a really positive for this team," stated Wilbur.
Miller and Radvanyi both scored a hat trick to lead Santa Clara past Marist 9-3 in the second game of the UC Santa Barbara Tournament. In addition, the Broncos got offensive contributions from Bryn Asher, Bonk, and Simpkins, as each found the back of the net once. On defense, Randahl Capurro and Barnes teamed up to block five attacks, as they split time in the cage. Brianna Anderson did a fantastic job on the defensive end, notching six steals.
"It was a good game by our team. It's tough to play so soon after a double overtime victory, so it was important to come out mentally strong and that's what they did," said Wilbur.
The match against UC Santa Barbara closely mirrored last weekend's contest with UC Davis, and unfortunately for Santa Clara, the outcome was the same as well. The Gauchos were physical in the pool and the Broncos were unable to match their style of play. Bacolini found herself atop the scorers board, with two goals, while Andrea Evans, Allie Lamb, Miller, and Radvanyi each registered a goal. Miller and Radvanyi also drew two kickouts. Barnes started in goal and turned back seven shots, while producing two steals in the losing effort.
"It was a similar game to UC Davis in the sense UC Santa Barbara is a physical team. We played better than last week. We've improved in certain areas of our game, but we still have some more work to do if we want to come out on top," commented Wilbur.
