STOCKTON, Calif. – The No. 17 Pacific women's water polo (2-3) team will return home to Chris Kjeldsen Pool at the
Pacific Aquatics Center for the first time since Jan. 22 when they host No. 6 California (6-4) on Saturday afternoon.
After notching a 1-3 record at the Michigan Invitational from Jan. 25-26, the Tigers will aim to get back to .500 in their matchup against the Golden Bears.
GAME INFORMATION:
Matchup: No. 6 California (6-4) at No. 17 Pacific (2-3)
Date: Saturday, February 8, 2020
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Location: Stockton, Calif.
Venue: Chris Kjeldsen Pool at the
Pacific Aquatics Center
Links: Live Stream |
Live Stats
LAST TIME OUT:
- Competing against nationally ranked opponents all week, the Tigers defeated No. 24 Marist, 12-11, at the Michigan Invitational despite falling to No. 5 UCLA (14-7) No. 7 Michigan (7-4) and No. 23 Indiana (13-5).
- Continuing her scorching hot start to the season, junior Savannah Fitzgerald netted 12 total goals in the four matches played over the weekend, including a seven-goal performance in Pacific's win over Marist.
- Providing a spark when called upon, sophomores Brianna Utas and Ana Martinez do Amaral added 5 and 4 goals respectively in the tournament.
ON THE PROWL:
- Despite dropping three of their last four, the Tigers come into the matchup against Cal tied for No. 17 with Princeton in the Collegiate Water Polo Association Top 25.
- Proving to be a force to be reckoned with, Fitzgerald currently leads the Golden Coast Conference (GCC) in total goals with 16. She also has ten more than Utas, who sits second on the team with six goals on the year.
- The Tigers will meet the Golden Bears for the 39th time in school history on Saturday in Stockton. Despite the many matchups, UOP is aiming to take down Cal for the first time ever, as the Golden Bears currently hold a 38-0 advantage over Pacific.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN BEARS:
- Junior attacker Brigit Mulder was an ACWPC All-American Honorable Mention last season, and has showed no signs of slowing down in 2020. After registering a hat trick in each of Cal's games last weekend at the Stanford Invitational, she now ranks fourth in the MPSF with 21 goals on the season. Mulder also added three assists during the weekend and leads the conference with 12.
- Claire Sonne, a junior coming off a busy summer in which she played for Team USA at the World University Games and served as an alternate for the U.S. at the World Junior Championships, has been one of the top players in the MPSF so far this season. She enters the weekend ranked in the top-10 in the conference in goals (17), assists (10) and steals (8). Sonne also has 15 earned exclusions and six blocks this year.
- Testing their talents throughout the year, the Bears have the toughest schedule in the nation in terms of nationally ranked opponents. All but one of Cal's opponents this season are ranked in this week's CWPA Top-25, and the only team that is not - Cal State East Bay - received votes last week.
TIGERS IN THE OLYMPICS:
- Pacific will redshirt five players competing for their home countries in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo: Kyra Christmas (Canada), Truly Dorland (United States) Mariana Duarte (Brazil), Viktoria Tamas (Hungary) and Clara Vulpisi (Canada).
- Christmas ranked second in the GCC in goals last season (71) and first in goals per game (3.23) to earn a spot on the All-CWPC First Team, while Vulsipi ranked fifth with 189 total saves.
FOLLOW US:
For more information and updates on the Pacific women's water polo team, please follow the team on Twitter (@Pacific_WWP), Instagram (@pacificwaterpolo) and Facebook (@pacificwomenswaterpolo).
