Event: UC Santa Cruz Slugfest
Teams: No. 11 UC Davis vs. Redlands; Cal Lutheran; Occidental; No. 15 Santa Clara
Records: Aggies, 3-7 (1-1); Bulldogs, 7-3; Kingsmen, 5-4; Tigers, 10-8; Broncos, 5-4
Where: Burns Recreation and Aquatic Center – Santa Cruz, Calif.
When: Saturday at 11:10 a.m., 2:30 p.m.; Sunday at 10:40 a.m.; 4:20 p.m.
Who to watch: Opponents haven’t had any luck stopping the attack of senior utility Adam Bennett.
Nicknamed “Bomb” for his strength and fast shot, players trying to guard Bennett have been under constant attack. The Merced, Calif. native has scored 24 goals in 10 games, including 12 last weekend at the NorCal Open.
Did you know: This Western Water Polo Association-heavy tournament brings some light competition, with the exception of the weekend finale with Santa Clara. Redlands, Cal Lutheran and Occidental have combined to face just one top-10 team – and that was a 22-5 Redlands loss to UC Santa Barbara.
Preview: Although their 3-7 record may mark the Aggies‘ worst start in five years, the team is looking to take control of things this weekend with some much-needed wins.
“We just want to finish out some games strong and get some wins this weekend,” said senior and second-leading scorer Paul Wilson. “We are just looking to get back that winning feeling and get some of the young guys some experience.“
If the team wants to win, they need to start finding their range scoring.
The team’s defense has been crisp, mostly due to the outstanding play of the senior Danny Driscoll, who played 111 of a possible 128 minutes at the NorCal Open. Driscoll is getting some surprising help from redshirt freshman goalie Kevin Peat, who tallied 35 saves in 14 quarters last weekend.
The Aggies are hoping the Slugfest this weekend will be just that, with UC Davis slugging its way past four conference opponents and back to .500.
–Sammy Brasch
