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Gauchos Host Final Three Regular Season Home Games this Week
March 28, 2011
• The Schedule
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
No. 14 UC Santa Barbara (16-8) vs. Brown (7-7), 4 p.m.
At Campus Pool
Saturday, April 2,
2011
No. 14 UC Santa Barbara vs. No. 18 Pacific (16-8), 12 p.m.
No. 14 UC Santa Barbara vs. Alumni, 3 p.m.
At Campus Pool
Sunday, April 3,
2011
No. 14 UC Santa Barbara vs. No. 16 UC Davis (16-7), 12 p.m.
At Campus Pool
• This Week In Water Polo
No. 14 UCSB will complete its six-game home stand this week at
Campus Pool. The Gauchos will face Brown on Tuesday afternoon
before opening Big West Conference action against No. 18 Pacific on
Saturday and No. 16 UC Davis on Sunday.
• Last Time Out
UCSB was idle last weekend, but played three home games two weeks
ago and came out on top each time. The Gauchos topped Bucknell,
Iona and Cal State San Bernardino in a trio of non-conference
contests. The wins improved the Gauchos to 6-3 in home games.
• For The Record
The Gauchos enter this weekend with a 16-8 overall mark. UCSB is
currently ranked 14th nationally in the Collegiate Water Polo
Association Poll.
• Big West Play Begins, Finally!
Saturday's game against Pacific will mark both teams' Big West
Conference opener. Last season, UCSB compiled a 3-2 mark in
conference play and finished fourth in the league's tournament,
falling 7-5 in the third-place game to Pacific. The Tigers were the
2010 regular season co-champions along with Cal State Northridge
after compiling a 4-1 league record. UC Irvine has won both Big
West Tournament crowns since the tournament's inception in
2009.
• Nelson Notebook
Senior Kathryn
Nelson continues to lead the Gauchos in goals with 43 this
season and is currently averaging 1.79 per game. She posted a
career-high five goals in the 11-9 win over Iona, helping propel
the Gauchos to the victory. Nelson has scored in all but four
contests this year and has had 14 multiple goal games.
Additionally, she is second on the team in steals (28) and first in
field blocks (9).
• Last Line of Defense
Sophomore goalkeeper Ruth Milne has started
all 24 contests in goal for the Gauchos this season. Milne is
currently averaging 11.6 saves per game and 7.1 goals against. She
has had double-digit saves on 14 occasions, including a season-best
16 against Cal on Feb. 26.
• Kulakowski Continues To Roll
Senior Kristin
Kulakowski has been one of the Gauchos largest offensive
threats as of late. The senior has led the Gauchos in goals during
four of their last seven contests. She scored four goals in the
16-8 win over Cal State San Bernardino with three coming in the
fourth quarter. Kulakowski is tied second on the team in goals with
28 and is averaging 1.22 goals per game.
• Rookie of the Year
While the Gauchos' top-four scorers this season are seniors (Kathryn
Nelson, Kristin
Kulakowski, Christie Clark and
Claire
Buchanan), freshman Molly Hafferkamp
is No. 5 on the team with 17 goals. The freshman has scored in the
last three contests, including two goals in the win over Iona. She
is currently averaging 0.89 goals per game. Hafferkamp also has
seven steals and has drawn nine ejections.
• Record Watch
Senior Christie Clark's 28
goals this season have brought her career count to 144, which ranks
fourth on the UCSB career-scoring list. She needs eight more goals
to match No. 3 Jennifer D'Anna's
career output. Kathryn Nelson (92
goals) and Claire Buchanan
(87 goals) rank 12th and 15th, respectively.
• What's Next?
Following this week, UCSB will head south next Saturday, April 9
to play two games. The Gauchos will face conference foe Cal State
Northridge at noon before taking-on Cal Baptist at 2:30 p.m. in a
non-conference neutral site game.
• UCSB To Host 2011 Big West
Championship
The 2011 Big West Tournament will be hosted by UCSB this season at
Campus Pool the weekend of April 29 through May 1. This season
marks the first that the conference will have an automatic bid into
the NCAA Tournament, which will be on the line along with the
conference crown.
