SANTA CLARA, Calif. – In two games that came down to the wire, Santa Clara women's water polo earned a split on Saturday at Sullivan Aquatic Center.
The Broncos (10-10, 1-1) began the day with an exciting 8-7 win over Concordia but lost a heartbreaker 7-6 to Cal State East Bay in the day's finale.
Game One: Santa Clara 8, Concordia 7
Annie Eldredge scored two goals, including the game-winner in the final minute, and set up two others to help the Broncos overcome a three-score deficit to claim an 8-7 victory over Concordia in a matchup of Golden Coast Conference teams.
Hailey Eberle and Kelly Frumkin also tallied two goals each for the Broncos who won their third-straight game.
Corbin Bricks scored twice for the Eagles (5-8, 0-2) who were held scoreless for the final 9 minutes of the game.
Eberle, Maggie Oys and Frumkin scored within a 2-minute span midway through the third period to erase a 7-4 Concordia lead.
Neither team was able score until Eberle set up Eldredge with 17 seconds remaining in the game to give the Broncos an 8-7 advantage.
Hannah Buck was excluded with 7 seconds to go, but the Eagles were unable to get a shot away with the extra attacker.
Lydia Dadd posted nine blocks, including six in the second half, for the Broncos.
Ariana Olmos tallied 11 saves for the Eagles who were 0-for-5 with the man advantage.
Game Two: Cal State East Bay 7, Santa Clara 6
An exclusion with 58 seconds left on the clock gave the Pioneers (8-7) the extra attacker and they took advantage with a goal from Cheyenne Pena with 39 seconds remaining to go on top 7-6.
Hannah Buck managed to get off one final shot for the Broncos on the last possession but it was saved by Makenna Nation and Cal State East Bay ran out the clock.
Pena and Auriel Bill both had two goals for the Pioneers and Nation made 13 saves.
After Cal State East Bay scored four goals in a row to take a lead after being down 5-2, Eldredge evened the score at 6-all on a high arching shot with 1:17 left in the game.
Eldredge led the Broncos with a career-high tying three goals with three other Santa Clara players scoring one each. Eldredge and Hailey Eberle each had three steals as well.
Emma Allegrucci scored with 3:58 to go in the second period to start a streak of three goals in a row for the Broncos that saw them get on top 5-2.
Lydia Dadd had seven blocks in the game.
QUOTABLE
VIDEO | Hear Hannah Buck talk about #SCUBroncos two games Saturday at home. #StampedeTogether pic.twitter.com/ABOlbUvFA8
— Santa Clara Polo (@SCUPolo) March 18, 2018
NOTES
• Lydia Dadd (goalie), Hannah Buck, Annie Eldredge, Maddy Gomes, Mara Dominguez, Maggie Oys and Hailey Eberle started for the Broncos in both games.
• Eldredge tallied a career-high three goals against Cal State Easy Bay, the sixth time reaching that total. She also posted a career-best three steals for the third time.
• Lauren Paxton, who started the first 14 games, has missed the last six.
• Kelly Frumkin had a career-high three assists vs. Cal State East Bay.
• Oys had her five-game scoring streak snapped vs. Cal State East Bay.
NEXT UP
The Broncos, who will be taking finals next week, are off until Saturday, when they play at San Jose State, beginning a stretch of five in a row on the road.
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