VIDEO: Cantoni, Puccinelli Postgame + Highlights
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara women's water polo got off to a slow start and was unable to complete a comeback against Loyola Marymount in Saturday's matchup of Golden Coast Conference foes.
Morgan Molley scored a game-high three goals and Sky Flores made 10 saves to lead LMU (10-13, 2-2) to a 6-3 victory over the Broncos.
Molley's second tally increased the 21st-ranked Lions' lead to 5-1 with 1:44 left in the third quarter, but Cathy Cantoni, one of six Santa Clara (6-16, 1-3) seniors playing in her final regular-season home game, cut into the deficit less than a minute later with a exclusion goal off a dish from Maggie Oys.
Keri Clifford, another senior, made it 5-3 with only 30 seconds gone in the fourth quarter, but Malloy added an insurance goal less than one minute later and the Lions defense was able to close it out for the team's fifth win in its last seven outings.
VIDEO | @SCUPolo's Cathy Cantoni/Francesca Puccinelli on Senior Day #StampedeTogether #SCUBroncos FULL CLIP: https://t.co/fir9qsJ9kt pic.twitter.com/7lPymYQeYw
— Santa Clara Broncos (@SCUBroncos) April 3, 2017
After dropping a 10-8 overtime decision to Azusa Pacific on Friday evening, Santa Clara had trouble getting the offense going in the first half, yielding the first four goals of the game.
Goals by Kiana Etrata and Molley about one minute apart midway though the second quarter, giving the Lions a 4-0 advantage.
"Our counterattack didn't seem in sync in the first quarter coming off last night's overtime game," Santa Clara head coach Keith Wilbur said. "We started to push more and more throughout the game."
Leading scorer Hannah Buck was held to just two shots, but her lone goal put the Broncos on the board. Cantoni, who had a team-high five shots, set up Buck for a goal just before halftime that cut the deficit to 4-1.
The Broncos held the Lions scoreless on their six chances with the man advantage, but went only 1-for-7 on the power play.
"I think both teams are good defensively," Wilbur said. "When we did create opportunities, we rushed it and didn't capitalize. We have to be a little more aggressive throughout the game, pushing on the counterattack."
There is still a month left on the schedule, but Cantoni and Clifford joined Francesca Puccinelli, Blair Akerland, Susan Providenza and Kathryn Burke in playing for the final time during the regular season in Sullivan Aquatic Center.
"It's a class I really like," Wilbur said. "They have good personalities and they get along well with each other. They have real good chemistry and that has trickled down to the rest of the team. They have a good work ethic and a positive attitude, but they know how to have fun at the same time."
The Broncos have five more games before playing host to the GCC Championship April 28-30.
Connect with the Broncos on Social Media
