No. 15 Broncos to Play in WWPA Conference Tournament

Nov. 20, 2008

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The No. 15 Santa Clara men's water polo team will travel to Claremont-Mudd-Scrips Colleges to participate in the WWPA conference Championships from Friday, Nov. 21 - 24 . The Broncos, who moved up a spot in the rankings, enter the tournament at the fifth seed and will take on fourth seed No. 16 University of Redlands in the first round on Friday, Nov. 21 at 11:30 a.m.

"We are excited for this weekend's WWPA Conference Tournament," head coach Keith Wilbur. "We are going to take one game at a time and just focus on Redlands going into Friday's game. We want to have a good first game and carry that momentum through the tournament."

Season Recap
The Santa Clara men's water polo team enters the conference tournament with a No. 15 national ranking and boasts a 15-12 overall, 9-5 WWPA record. The Broncos have remained ranked in the national poll all season, reaching as high as No. 12 for four weeks straight. SCU opened up the 2008 campaign on the road, going 13-6. After playing their first 19 games on the road the Broncos returned home to open up play in the newly constructed Sullivan Aquatic Center pool. This season Santa Clara has four All-WWPA honorees, including redshirt junior Jack Wall, who earned first team accolades for the second time in his career. Freshman James Cases was named to the WWPA All-Freshman Team, and junior Liam Farrell and redshirt senior Chris Parolin were named honorable mention honorees.

Four Broncos Earn Conference Honors
Four Broncos earned all-conference honors in 2008. Leading the way is redshirt junior Jack Wall, who earned first team accolades for the second time in his career, and James Case took WWPA All-Freshman Team honors after a strong true freshman season. Rounding out the Santa Clara honorees is junior Liam Farrell and redshirt senior Chris Parolin, who are honorable mention honorees.

Wall Returns to the Lineup
Redshirt junior Jack Wall returned to the Bronco lineup this season after missing last year due to injury. Wall has led SCU's offense for much of the season with 59 goals for No. 14 in the nation and has earned his second career All-WWPA First Team honor. The Los Gatos, Calif. native also boasts 31 assists, 25 steals, 12 field blocks and 11 kick outs drawn. He has started and played in all 27 games this season at utility.

Freshman Goalie Makes a Splash
Freshman Michael Wishart earned the starting goalie spot this season and has started and played in all 27 games this year for the Broncos. In goal, Wishart has posted 228 blocks, 16 steals and 18 assists. The Hillsborough, Calif. native is ranked No. 12 in the nation in blocks.

Wilbur One Win Away From 100
Head coach Keith Wilbur is one win away from 100 career wins at the helm of the Bronco men's water polo program. Currently the seventh year head coach is 99-119 and is the all-time leader in wins for SCU.

Scouting No. 16 University of Redlands
This will be the second time Santa Clara takes on No. 16 University of Redlands this season. In their first meeting, UR edged SCU on Sept. 28 at the Slugfest Tournament, 9-8.

This season the Bulldogs are 26-8 overall, 17-3 WWPA and hold the fourth seed position going into the conference tournament. Redlands is led by a trio of goal scorers in junior Brendan Meaney, who has 65 goals, sophomore Andrew Smith-Jones, who has 62 goals, and senior Andrew Becskehazy, who also has 62 goals. Defensively, Teddy Trowbridge posts 188 blocks in 31 games, for twenty-first ranked in goalie saves.