SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara women's water pole concludes its regular-season home schedule this week with Golden Coast Conference matchups against Azusa Pacific and Loyola Marymount.
The Broncos (6-14, 1-1) face Azusa Pacific at 5 p.m. Friday and LMU at noon Saturday when the team will recognize its senior class.
Santa Clara will return from an 11-day break from competition with a stiff challenge in games that affect seeding for the seven-team GCC Championship, which is set for April 28-30 at Sullivan Aquatic Center.
All three teams are tied for third in the league standings. Azusa Pacific (11-10, 1-1) has won five of its last seven outings, while LMU (9-12, 1-1), which is No. 21 in the latest Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) rankings, has been victorious in four of its last five contests. Last season, the Broncos won 7-5 at Azusa Pacific, but lost 10-7 at LMU.
"They are both good teams," Santa Clara head coach Keith Wilbur said. "We have not seen Azusa Pacific this year since we haven't been at the same pool. We are both kind of unknown to each other so it will be an interesting game. We were at the UC San Diego tournament (in February) with LMU. They are strong and fast, and have a really good goalie in Claire Wright."
Sophomore Hannah Buck is Santa Clara's leading scorer with 27 goals. She also has a team-high 46 kickouts drawn, but is only of only two non-seniors in the starting lineup.
Senior Cathy Cantoni leads the team in both assists (15) and steals (15), and is third with 11 kickouts drawn. Senior Francesca Puccinelli has started all 20 games in net and has produced nine double-digit save totals.
Keri Clifford, Blair Akerland and Susan Providenza are also senior starters, while Kathryn Burke is a key reserve.
"I really like this class of seniors" Wilbur said. "It's a group that has steadily improved each and every year. They have gotten stronger and stronger, and all six players are contributing and doing well. They have provided great leadership for this team and have been a real fun group to coach."
That group has had to mentor a youthful roster as 13 of the 21 players are freshmen and sophomores.
"I think what the seniors have done in their careers has translated to our team this year," Wilbur said. "We don't have juniors playing so we are pretty young. This team has a done a nice job of improving this year and I give a lot of credit to our seniors."
GAMEDAY INFORMATION |
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| Video | Santa Clara-Azusa Pacific | Santa Clara-LMU |
| Live Stats | Santa Clara-Azusa Pacific | Santa Clara-LMU |
Alumni Game: The Broncos will hold their annual Alumni game at 3 p.m. Saturday in Sullivan Aquatic Center. Admission is free.
Tickets: Single-game tickets are available for $5. Click here to purchase online or contact the ticket office weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. at (408) 554-4660 or BroncoTickets@scu.edu. Sullivan Aquatic Center, as well as its ticket office, is open one hour prior to the start of the game. Only cash is accepted at Sullivan Aquatic Center.
Parking: For weekday games, the Leavey Center lot, located on Accolti Way off El Camino Real, is free beginning one hour prior to the start of the game. Any other parking facility on campus will be subject to normal daily rates or restrictions, including the main structure, located on Palm Drive. During the weekend, campus parking facilities are free (except for permit required locations). Click here for a campus map and parking restrictions.
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