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Third-Seeded Gauchos Set to Host Big West Tournament
April 28, 2011
• The Schedule
Friday, April 29, 2011
#4 Pacific (20-11, 2-3) vs. #5 UC Davis (18-11, 1-4), 3:30
p.m.
#3 UC Santa Barbara (16-11, 3-2) vs. #6 Long Beach State (12-16,
1-4), 5:15 p.m.
at Campus Pool
Saturday, April 30, 2011
#1 UC Irvine (19-8, 5-0) vs. Game One Winner, 3:30 p.m.
#2 Cal State Northridge (21-14, 3-2) vs. Game Two Winner, 5:15
p.m.
at Campus Pool
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Fifth Place Match, 11 a.m.
Third Place Match, 12:45 p.m.
Championship Match, 2:30 p.m.
at Campus Pool
• Big West Conference Tournament Comes to
UCSB
This weekend UC Santa Barbara will play host of the third annual
Big West Conference Women's Water Polo Tournament at Campus Pool.
The Gauchos - who are seeded third in the tournament - will play
sixth-seeded Long Beach State in the first round on Friday at 5:15
p.m.
• What's At Stake
This marks the first year that the Big West will receive an
automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, which is being hosted by
Michigan the weekend of May 13-15. The winner of this weekend's
tournament will be awarded the league's berth along with the Big
West Tournament title.
• UCSB vs. the Rest of the Big West
The Gauchos posted a 3-2 record in Big West play and has gone 4-5
overall against conference teams this season. UCSB has faced its
first round opponent Long Beach twice this season: losing the first
pairing, 5-2, on Feb. 12 and winning the league countable game,
8-7, on April 16. Last season, UCSB finished fourth in the
tournament and in 2009, at the inaugural tournament, they were the
runners-up. UC Irvine has won the last two Big West Tournament
titles.
• Home Pool Advantage
UCSB has posted a 9-3 record at Campus Pool this season and has
won its last six home games.
• On A Roll
Seniors Claire Buchanan
and Kathryn
Nelson are each amidst significant scoring streaks. Buchanan
has scored in the last 10 games, marking her longest streak of the
season. She has posted 21 goals across those contests. Nelson,
meanwhile, has scored 17 goals across the last nine games. It ties
her season-opening nine game scoring streak.
• Buchanan's Bullet Point
Senior Claire
Buchanan is second on the team with her 40 goals and led the
team with 10 goals scored in Big West contests. The Carmichael,
Calif. native leads the team with a whopping 80 earned ejections
and has also posted 14 steals on the year.
• Nelson Notebook
Senior Kathryn
Nelson continues to lead the Gauchos in goals with 52 this
season, which more than doubles her total in goals from her
previous seasons at UCSB. Nelson has tallied a goal in all but four
contests this year and has had 17 multiple goal games.
Additionally, she leads the team in steals (37) and field blocks
(11) and is third in assists (15).
• Last Line of Defense
Sophomore goalkeeper Ruth Milne has started
all 30 contests in goal for the Gauchos this season. Milne is
currently averaging 12.0 saves per game, which ranks first in the
conference, and 7.4 goals against. She has had double-digit saves
on 19 occasions, including a season-best 16 against Cal on Feb. 26.
Milne, who has totaled 289 saves so far has already surpassed her
2010 school record for single season saves (275) and is 31 saves
away from matching the UCSB career record set by Yvonne Conard
(2000-02) at 595 saves.
• Record Watch
Senior Christie Clark's 29
goals this season have brought her career count to 145, which ranks
fourth on the UCSB career-scoring list. She needs seven more goals
to match No. 3 Jennifer D'Anna's
career output. Claire Buchanan
(102 career goals) and Kathryn Nelson
(101) are tied eighth and 10th, respectively, on the all-time
career goals list.
• Tournament Central
For information on the Big West Women's Water Polo Tournament
including how to purchase tickets, where to park and up-to-date
game scores, visit the tournament page by clicking here.
