Santa Clara, Calif. – Facing top-ranked completion at the UC San Diego Triton Invitation, the Broncos women's water polo team went 1-3 over the weekend. The team is now 3-4 on the season.
The Broncos first played No. 6 UC Irvine. The Anteaters scored the first goal of the game and after battling up and down the pool, Erin Sheridan put in a goal for the Broncos, 1-1. Off an earned ejection, the Anteaters scored another goal, 2-1. Cathy Cantoni found the back of the net with less than 30 seconds left to tie the game two all.
The Anteaters started the second quarter with a two-goal run, 4-2 Anteaters. Sheridan scored her second goal of the game to bring the Broncos back within one. The Anteaters started to show their dominance, going on another three goal run before Keri Clifford could put in a Bronco goal, 7-4 Anteaters.
After putting in a final goal to take the game into half, the Anteaters scored four more goals in the third quarter and kept the Broncos scoreless, 12-4. With goals by Elle Surber and Ashleigh Bandimere, the Anteaters finished out the game with the 15-6 win.
In their second game, the Broncos faced No. 19 Marist. The Red Foxes jumped out to an early two-goal lead. Off and earned ejection, Ellise Floreani put in the first Bronco goal. The Red Foxes scored one more goal to take the 3-1 lead.
Off an earned ejection, Julia Peters scored to bring the Broncos within one. After another goal by the Red Fox, Clifford found the back of the net to make it 4-3 Red Fox advantage going into half.
After halftime, the Broncos turned their game up a notch, putting in a four goal, unanswered run with goals by Peters, two by Bandimere and Lauren Radich. With help from the defense, goalie Sydni Estrella kept the Red Foxes scoreless that quarter.
Peters scored her third goal to start the fourth quarter. The Red Foxes put in one more goal, but with two more goals by Sheridan and Surber the Broncos left with the 10-5 win.
On Sunday, the Broncos faced No. 18 UC Santa Barbara. The Gauchos scored the first goal, but Bandimere and Peters each scored to give the Broncos the 2-1 lead.
After tying the game up 2-2 at the start of the second quarter, Radich found the back of the net to maintain the 3-2 lead. The Gauchos scored two more to take over the lead, 4-3, at halftime.
The Gauchos defense shutdown the Broncos offense, keeping them scoreless in the third quarter. This allowed the Gauchos to runaway with the lead, scoring five goals, 9-3.
Bandimere and Surber each had a goal, but it was not enough. The Gauchos finished out the game with the 10-5 victory.
In their final game of the weekend, the Broncos played No. 16 UC Davis. The Aggies started the game off with two goals. Surber scored the only Broncos goal of the first half of the game, and the Aggies took control of the game outscoring the Broncos 6-1.
It was not until the fourth quarter that Cantoni and Surber were able to put in goals. The Aggies finished the Broncos' weekend with a 14-3 win.
