STOCKTON, Calif. - Santa Clara women's water polo put up a strong fight in Stockton, taking an early lead but ultimately unable to recover from an 8-6 deficit by the end of the third period. Sydney Maccabe and Malaya Wright both scored two goals each; notably, this marks the second consecutive week that Wright has put up two of her own.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Broncos (5-14, 1-2) started the first period strong, with freshman Wright scoring the opening goal. Just a minute later, she netted another, giving Santa Clara a 2-0 lead. Pacific responded quickly, and the first period ended tied at 2-2.

• The second period saw back-and-forth goals, with Libby Slater leveling the score at 3-3 after an early Tiger goal. However, Pacific managed to score two unanswered goals, ending the first half with a 5-3 lead.

• In the third period, facing a three-goal deficit, Megan Chambliss scored a crucial goal for the Broncos, narrowing the Tiger lead to 6-4. Maccabe then scored her first goal of the day, bringing the score to 7-5 in favor of the Tigers. Pacific responded with another goal, but Maccabe's second goal of the day closed the gap to 8-6. Unfortunately, this marked the end of the Bronco rally, and the Tigers took the game 12-6.
   

UP NEXT:

• Santa Clara will hit the road on Saturday, Mar. 23 to take on Cal State East Bay at 1 p.m.