SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Santa Clara men's water polo kicks off the 2021 season with a trip to the East Coast.

The Broncos will play four games at the Bruno Classic, which is being held at Brown University. They will face the host Bears and Wagner on Saturday, and Fordham and Gannon on Sunday.

"We're looking forward to the challenge this weekend," Santa Clara head coach Keith Wilbur said.

Santa Clara returns all 20 players who saw action in the abbreviated 2020 season that was competed last spring.

"The guys came back in pretty good shape and the upperclassmen have done a good job stepping into leadership roles," Wilbur said.

The Broncos, who added nine freshmen to the roster, opened preseason practice on Aug. 19.

"The team has shown a really good understanding of the game and we built some good team chemistry in the preseason," Wilbur said.

The Broncos will lean on the backbone of its defense in goaltenders Sean Tehaney and Chase Zamborelli who have split time the last two seasons.

"Both of those guys are great competitors and really support each other very well," Wilbur said. "We have a lot of confidence with either one of them in net."

TOURNAMENT INFO (BRUNO CLASSIC)
When: Saturday, Sept. 4 (at Brown 6:45 a.m. PT; vs. Wagner at 11:45 a.m. PT)
When: Sunday, Sept. 5 (vs. Fordham 5:30 a.m. PT; vs. Gannon at 9:15 a.m. PT)
Where: Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center (Providence, R.I.)
Live Stats: None
Video: ESPN+ (Brown | Wagner | Fordham | Gannon)

NOTES
• Matt Peterson had a team-high five goals and Cody Ferguson tallied four in last season's three games that were played in March.
• Seniors Blake D'Souza and Jake Taylor, along with junior Dominick Kirk, will serve as this year's captains.
• Four regular season tournaments dot the 2021 schedule including the Julian Fraser Memorial which is set for Oct. 22-24 in Sullivan Aquatic Center. This weekend's event in Providence, Rhode Island, and two games at Air Force (Oct. 16-17) are the only times the Broncos will leave California.

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