Water polo captures fourth place finish

By Meghan Skarzynski

The women's water polo team overcame an underdog reputation in the Western Water Polo Association during tournament a upset this past weekend. The Broncos (19-13, 15-8 WWPA) surprised their opponents with their tenacity.

"I'd rather be the underdog and beat these teams, especially Bakersfield, at conference," sophomore Jenny Knutson said. "If we play our game, I think we can win."

The Broncos were able to overcome numerous injuries this year with the depth of their bench and with key players like Brianna Anderson and Claire Linney, who played through shoulder injuries.

"We didn't have any standouts this season because everyone contributes. We have a lot of different scorers," second-team All-WWPA Liz Perry said.

Senior co-captains Perry and Emily Bonk led the team with positive motivation; the upperclassmen were a major factor in team morale after frustrating losses this season.

"We have a good team this year. We are always looking to beat teams ranked ahead of us nationally and in our conference," Head Coach Keith Wilbur said. "We have good players who commit to defense, have great game sense, and play tough. We're physical and play smart -- those are our strengths."

This impressive perseverance enabled the Broncos to defeat Loyola Marymount for the first time in Santa Clara women's water polo history.

"We didn't want our win against LMU to be the highlight of our season. We've been preparing all season," Bonk said. "We're ready to give it all we got."

The No. 5 Broncos traveled to Loyola Marymount's Burns Recreation and Aquatics center in Los Angeles this past weekend.

In their first match on Friday, the Broncos kick started their weekend with an easy win over Chapman. Netting five goals in the first quarter, the team finished with a final score of 9-1.

Later that night, the Broncos faced Cal State Bakersfield. After losing by one point in all three of the games versus the Roadrunners this season, the Broncos were prepared to put up a fight.

By channeling their determination into attacks on goal, the Broncos defeated Bakersfield 7-3 for the first time this season.

Senior and WWPA honorable mention goal keeper Randahl Capurro played another exceptional game. Capurro, who is ranked third in the nation for 221 saves in the regular season, blocked nine shots.

On Saturday, the team's winning streak ended with a 5-4 loss to UC Davis. Juniors Amy and Allie Lamb were the only Broncos who chalked the scoreboard. Second-team All-WWPA player Amy Lamb netted her eighth hat trick of the year, and sister Allie Lamb also notched a goal.

The Broncos finished the tournament by losing 8-7 to UC San Diego. Santa Clara rallied from a four-goal deficit before the Tritons scored the game-winner with 0.05 seconds remaining in the game.

Santa Clara completed their season in fourth place in the WWPA for the second consecutive year.

"It's sad the season ended. To think that next year will be our last is bittersweet," Amy Lamb said. "Coach makes water polo fun. If it wasn't, we wouldn't be playing. We're like one, big, happy family,"

But the Broncos still have high hopes for next season after strong tournament play. The team looks forward to beginning a new season in the fall with the new aquatic center's pool.

Correction: The story incorrectly stated the women's water polo score against Cal State Bakersfield as 5-1. The correct score was 7-3.The story also incorrectly stated Randahl Capurro was ranked fifth in the nation in total blocks. She was ranked third.