SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The No. 20 women's water polo team went 4-1, only losing to No. 2 Stanford on Feb. 26. The Broncos then traveled down to Thousand Oaks, Calif. and swept all four of their games at the Cal Lutheran Invitational. The team improved to 11-5 on the season.
Up first, the Broncos faced the top-ranked Cardinal. In the first half of the game, the Cardinal showed their dominance, keeping the Broncos scoreless and putting in six of their own goals. After going on a 12 goal unanswered run, Kathryn Burke put in the first Broncos goal.
The Broncos were able to put in three more goals, scored by Julia Peters, Erin Sheridan and Elle Surber. The Cardinal finished out the game with the 17-4 win.
On Saturday, the team started off the Cal Lutheran Invitation with Cal State Bakersfield. Ashleigh Bandimere put in the first goal of the game, but the Roadrunners tied the game at one all. Peters put in a second goal for the Broncos, but again the Roadrunners tied the game. Surber put in the final goal of the quarter, giving the Broncos the 3-2 lead.
Susan Providenza gave the Broncos their first two-goal lead of the game, 4-2. With goals by Elizabeth Anderson, Cathy Cantoni and Peters, the Broncos took the 7-4 lead going into half.
Off an earned ejection, Surber found the back of the net, increasing the Broncos lead to 8-4. Peters followed up with her third goal of the game, 9-4. The Raodrunners were only able to get one goal past the Bronco defense, but goals by Cantoni and Lauren Radich ended the third quarter 11-5 Bronco advantage.
The Roadrunners got a final wave and put the Broncos defense to the test. Bandimere was the lone Bronco goal scorer in the fourth quarter. After a big comeback, the Broncos were able to finish out the game with the 12-11 win.
In the second game on Saturday, the Broncos played Division III opponent the Chapman Cougars. Surber put in the first goal, but the Cougars tied the game for the first and only time of the game. Bandimere followed up with a goal that got the ball rolling for the Broncos. With goals by Anderson and Peters, the Broncos finished the first quarter with the 4-3 advantage.
Goalie Sydni Estrella and the Broncos defense put up a tough battle the rest of the game, only allowing three more goals and playing shutdown defense in the third quarter.
Off an earned ejection, Bandimere put in a goal on the man-up opportunity. Peters, Anderson, Bandimere and Cantoni each scored a goal giving the team the 9-4 lead going into half.
The Broncos lit up their offensive efforts in the third and fourth quarter, scoring seven goals with goals by Sheridan, Peters, Keri Clifford, Burke, Providenza, Blair Akerland and Cantoni. The Broncos beat the Cougars 16-6.
On Sunday, the Broncos play Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Anderson and Peters came out firing to start the game by giving the Broncos a two-goal lead. The Athenas came back with two of their own goals, making it tied going into the second quarter.
Anderson rattled off two goals to give the Broncos the 4-2 advantage at the top of the second quarter. The Bronco defense stepped up again, only allowing the Athenas to score two more goals the rest of the game.
With five more goals scored by Cantoni, Anderson, Surber and two from Bandimere, the Broncos finished out the game with the 9-4 win.
Looking to pick up one final win, the Broncos came ready to play against the Occidental Tigers. The Broncos jumped out to a five goal lead, with goals by Anderson, Peters, Sheridan and two by Akerland. The Tigers put in one goal of their own in the final minute of the first quarter.
The Broncos outscored the Tigers 5-2 in the second quarter with goals by Surber, Anderson, Sheridan, Akerland and Nicolette Balch. The Tigers scored their final three goals in the third quarter.
Anderson and Clifford each had two more goals and Elise Floreani and Akerland each had one more. The Broncos finished with the 16-6 win over the Tigers.
