DAVIS, Calif. - Santa Clara men's water polo put up a strong fight against the seventh-ranked Aggies of UC Davis, but ultimately was unable to keep up down the stretch as the Broncos fell in a 14-8 final on Thursday afternoon in Davis.
No. 17 Santa Clara (8-12, 1-4) got off to a great start, going toe-to-toe with UC Davis in the opening eight minutes of action with the score tied at 3-3 at the end of the first quarter. The Aggies then outscored the Broncos 5-3 in the second quarter and then held a 6-3 advantage over the second half of action to hold off any hopes of a comeback. UC Davis improved to 6-0 in WWPA play and are 13-7 on the season.
The trio of Zach Fales, Bennett Stafford and Chase Raisin led the Broncos offensively with two goals apiece. Caedmon Fisher dished out a pair of assists and had one goal while Cody Ferguson came away with a team-best two steals.
Chase Zamborelli got the start at goalkeeper once again, finishing the day with 11 blocks.
Santa Clara returns to the comfort of their home pool on Saturday with a WWPA showdown against Concordia. The game is slated for a 12 p.m. start from the Sullivan Aquatic Center.
