BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - The fifth-seeded Santa Clara women's water polo team defeated tenth seed Chapman, 20-2, and eighth seed Cal State San Bernardino, 10-5, in Western Water Polo Championship consolation action today to earn its way into tomorrow's fifth-place game against Cal State East Bay tomorrow at noon.
The Broncos easily dispatched the Panthers in the 9:00 a.m. game, giving up just one goal each in the first and second quarters.
Three Santa Clara players, sophomore Marina Allen, freshman Natalie Kassel, and junior Caitlin Espe, scored three goals each. Two others, senior Rochelle Stowe and freshman Marina Howard, scored two each. In total, the Broncos had 12 different goal-scorers against the Panthers.
Junior goalie Wren White played the first half, making two saves. Freshman Stephanie Clements played the third quarter and went unchallenged while her classmate Kathleen Servatius took over in the fourth quarter, also making two saves.
In the second game, Santa Clara and CSUSB each scored one goal in the first quarter. The Broncos struck first with a goal by Stowe, her first of three goals in the game.
Santa Clara took a definitive lead by the end of the half, ending 16 minutes of play with a 5-2 advantage. Stowe added her second goal while Espe scored twice and senior Meg Zimmerman found the back of the cage.
Stowe and Espe gave the Broncos a 7-3 lead with eight minutes to play and goals from Zimmerman, senior Jenny Knutson, and freshman Alison Norris put the Coyotes away in the final quarter. White played all 32 minutes in goal, recording 11 saves.
Santa Clara will finish the 2010 season tomorrow against a very familiar team, Cal State East Bay. The Broncos are 1-2 against the Pioneers and will be looking to even the 2010 series against them at noon tomorrow. East Bay, the third seed in the tournament, was upset by sixth-seeded Colorado State in their opening game of the WWPA Championship. The Pioneers defeated ninth-seeded Cal State Monterey Bay and seventh-seeded Sonoma State today.
