April 2, 2006

Santa Clara, Calif. The Pacific women's water polo team fell to No. 20 Santa Clara by the score of 14-4, and Chapman by the score of 10-8 on Sunday, April 2, Both matches were contested at Leavey Center Pool in Santa Clara, Calif. With the losses, the Tigers fell to 0-15 on the season.

Against Santa Clara, the Tigers and Broncos were tied at four goals apiece midway through the second quarter before Santa Clara scored ten straight to make the final outcome 14-4. Sophomore Kellie Fletcher (Roseville, Calif.) scored three goals in the loss, and sophomore Jocelyn Gray (Strathmore, Alberta, Canada) added the other goal. Freshman goalie Sara Mirels (Haleiwa, Hawai'i) had a career high 8 blocks, and added three steals in the match.

The match served as a homecoming for Pacific head coach Steve Hanson, who served as Santa Clara's first women's coach from 1998-2002. Hanson is also a 1997 graduate of the university, where he also ran the men's program during the time period.

Against Chapman, the Tigers spotted the Panthers a 3-0 lead after the first quarter, but Pacific outscored them the rest of the way 8-7. Senior Julia Snyder (Fresno, Calif.) and Fletcher each had three goals, while Gray added two. In the cage, Mirels recorded three goalie blocks in the defeat.

The Tigers face three MPSF opponents in the coming week, traveling to San Jose State on the 7th before hosting Long Beach St. and UC Irvine on the 8th and 9th. Both home matches will begin at noon at Chris Kjeldsen Pool inside of the Pacific Aquatics Center.