March 6, 2008

STANFORD, Calif. - The No. 2 Stanford women's water polo team heads to Southern California for a big four-game weekend, beginning Friday at 4 p.m. against the No. 17 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos. The Cardinal will then head to Los Angeles for a big rematch against top-ranked UCLA at 3 p.m. Saturday, and conclude the weekend with a Sunday doubleheader against Pomona-Pitzer and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., respectively.

Stanford (11-2, 3-0 MPSF) is coming off a weekend sweep of MPSF foes San Diego State and Arizona State, which kept the team's conference record spotless. Lauren Silver was named MPSF Co-Player of the Week after scoring five goals over the two victories, increasing her team-leading output to 31 goals and 2.38 goals per game, tied for fourth in the MPSF and tenth in the nation.

Jacquelyn Gauthier's 26 goals and 2.00 goals per game are in a three-way tie at the No. 9 spot in the MPSF, and 20th in the nation.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the tank, freshman goalkeeper Amber Oland has continued her solid play. She is fifth in the MPSF with 8.58 saves per game, and her 103 saves on the year are good for 15th in the nation.

The Gauchos (4-9, 0-3 MPSF) are still looking for their first conference victory, and are currently in the throes of a nine-game losing streak. UCSB is led by the play of Gillian Morgan (31 goals), as well as the defense of goalie Jenny Gonzales (74 saves).

UCLA (18-0, 4-0 MPSF) heads into Saturday's rematch with a pair of tournament victories under its belt. The second of those wins, at the Irvine Tournament, came at the expense of the Cardinal, as the Bruins captured an 8-7 sudden-death victory in the championship game. The Bruins will be led by a trio of 30-goal scorers in Katie Rulon (38), Jillian Kraus (36), and Brittany Rowe (31).

Pomona-Pitzer, the top-ranked team in Division III, opened its season last weekend with losses to CS Bakersfield and UC San Diego. The Sagehens are the defending 2007 SCIAC Champions, and won the Division III national title in 2005. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (0-4) enters Sunday's contest seeking its first win of the 2008 season.

Following this weekend's action, the Cardinal will take a two-week hiatus for final exams, and will return to action in paradise, traveling to Hawai'i to battle the Rainbow Wahine at 1 p.m. PT on March 24.