HONOLULU — The No. 16 UC Santa Barbara Women's Water Polo team faces its toughest test in its final road contest of the season, traveling to face No. 2 Hawai'i on Saturday.
 
WHEN AND WHERE TO WATCH
Start time is set for 9 p.m. Pacific time from the Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex in Honolulu, and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Fans can also follow along with live stats available through ucsbgauchos.com.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Gauchos played a series of three games in as many days last weekend, winning one over Concordia Irvine but dropping a pair of conference contests against CSUN and UC San Diego. Both of those conference losses were decided by a single goal.
 
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE GAUCHOS
UC Santa Barbara has a case to be the peskiest team in The Big West this season, playing a pressing defense that excels at forcing turnovers; the Gauchos are the only team with three players among The Big West's top 10 in steals, with goalkeeper Madison Walker leading the back at 37. Leigh Lyter and Juju Amaral each have 33, the third-most in the conference. Annie Kuester's defensive contributions have also earned her a spot on the conference leaderboards, with the junior utility's 10 field blocks ranking fifth in The Big West.
 
When it comes to offense, Lyter, Kuester and Amaral have been the main three points of focus, with each of them in the 30-goal club. Lyter's 36 lead the team and have her career total up to 124, which ranks ninth in UC Santa Barbara history. Kuester's season total is just behind, 35, thanks in part to an 11-game scoring streak which she carries into Saturday's matchup. Amaral has 33 goals to go along with a team-high 29 assists, giving her the team lead in total points. Christina Mullane is shy of the 30-goal mark but has hit the 50-point mark this season with a perfectly balanced 25 goals and 25 assists. Saturday will be a first game as a visitor to Honolulu for the Hawai'i transfer Mullane.
 
SCOUTING THE RAINBOW WAHINE
Hawai'i has already clinched The Big West Regular Season Championship, which should come as no surprise, considering the Rainbow Wahine have spent most of the season ranked as the No. 2 team in the country. They have lost three games all season and are undefeated against Big West opponents, riding a six-game winning streak into Saturday night's game. The Rainbow Wahine are also unbeaten in seven games at home.
 
The potent Hawai'i attack is led by a quartet of international players, namely Spaniards Bia Mantellato Dias and Alba Bonamusa Boix, who are both among The Big West's top 10 goal-scorers this season. Fellow Spaniard Lucia Gomez de la Puente joins them in the conference's top 10 for total points, as does New Zealand's Bernadette Doyle. Bonamusa Boix and Doyle are both stellar at either end of the pool, with Doyle's 37 steals the joint-most in the conference and Bonamusa Boix's 14 field blocks second.
 
With that strong of a defense in front of her, Rainbow Wahine goalkeeper Daisy Logtens has only made 167 saves on the season, fifth in The Big West, but that stat fails to capture her ability. The Dutch goalie leads the conference with a .594 save percentage and a 7.95 goals-against average.
 
UP NEXT
UC Santa Barbara's final regular season contest is next, as the Gauchos will host Cal State Fullerton on Thursday, April 18 at Santa Barbara High School for Senior Night. Santa Barbara will celebrate their four graduating seniors before taking on the Titans, with start time set for 7 p.m.