Waterpolo smashes the Banana Slugs
By Brian Betz
The Santa Clara men's water polo team ended their season on a positive note, winning three consecutive matches to finish the regular season with a record of 9-12.
Last Tuesday's 26-6 blowout over Cal Maritime was followed this last weekend with two back-to-back nail biters against UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz, which the Broncos won 8-7 and 13-12, respectively.
Tuesday's win over Cal Maritime saw twelve of the team's 26 goals come from senior Jay Moorhead, sophomore Logan Gee and freshman Nick Takahashi, as each netted four in the victory. An offensive flurry in the second half sealed the victory for the Broncos as they outscored Cal Maritime 15-1.
After a three-day break from matches, the Broncos entered this last weekend with two pivotal games that would shape their outlook going into the WWPA Championships.
In a gutsy performance against No. 20 UC Davis, Jay Moorhead convinced Coach Steven Hanson to play him during the second half after having sat out the entire first half with a hip injury. Moorhead scored two remarkable goals, one to tie the match at 6-6, and another to win the match with just 42 seconds remaining. Sophomore Dan Figoni and Takahashi added two goals apiece in the win.
Despite some risky turnovers and costly decisions, the team was able to come away with a one-goal victory against Division III No. 3 UC Santa Cruz. Some key first half saves by sophomore goalkeeper Gareth Owens and a noticeable improvement on power plays helped secure the Broncos' third win in six days. Figoni's five goals led the way against the Slugs.
"For the most part I felt pretty good about our season," Hanson said. "There were a few losses that I wish we could have back, a couple against UC Davis early in the year, but overall I am fairly pleased with our efforts. I feel very confident going into the Championships down in Los Angeles. A lot of our success will depend on they how they seed us."
After this weekend's exhibition match against the Bay Area Masters, the squad returns to conference play in Los Angeles, where the championships will be held Nov. 16-18. The Broncos look to be seeded somewhere around the middle in the eight-team tourney, and should expect a possible match up against either Airforce or Redlands.