No. 6 Bears Close Regular Season In Big Splash
SATURDAY, APRIIL 16
NO. 6 CAL (15-3, 3-2 MPSF) AT NO. 2 STANFORD (18-2, 4-1 MPSF) | 12 P.M. PT | AVERY AQUATIC CENTER | STANFORD, CALIF.
PAC-12 NETWORKS | LIVE STATS
The No. 6 Cal women's water polo team closes out the 2022 regular season Saturday when it visits No. 2 Stanford in the Big Splash. The Bears and Cardinal have already met once this season, with Cal defeating Stanford 10-9 in sudden victory overtime at the Stanford Invitational. The win snapped the Bears' eight-game losing streak against the Cardinal, a span that dated back to 2018. Another win for Cal would clinch the No. 3 seed in next weekend's MPSF Championships; a loss would slot the Bears as the No. 4 seed. Cal has handed Stanford one of its only two losses this season.
BEAR NECESSITIES
TURNER ON A TEAR
Junior Cecily Turner continues to be Cal's hottest offensive player over the past month. She has registered a hat trick in three consecutive games, and four of her last five. Turner has scored 14 goals during her past seven games, while also dishing out five assists with three field blocks and three steals. Turner ranks fourth on the team with 26 goals and is tied for third with 36 points. She also ranks 10th in the MPSF in goals per game in conference games (2.0).
THE WRIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY
Emma Wright continues her climb up Cal's all-time scoring list. During the Bears' last game against UC Irvine, Wright moved into sole possession of fifth place on the program's career scoring list with 192 goals. She now needs eight goals to reach sole possession of the No. 4 spot, currently held by Kaliya Young's 199 career goals. If she passes Young, Wright will also become the 47th player in MPSF history to reach the 200-goal mark in a career (fourth at Cal). Wright is a three-time All-American who also served as co-captain of the Canadian Olympic Team in Tokyo last summer. She is currently tied for fifth in the MPSF at 3.5 points per game.
IZZY'S TIME
Junior Isabel Williams is having one of the best goalie seasons in Cal history. She leads the conference in saves per game (10.4) while ranking second in save percentage (.607). Williams has been named MPSF Player of the Week twice this season and has registered 10 double-digit save performances, including four of the last six.
RUBY'S RETURN
After opting out of the 2021 season, sophomore Ruby Swadling has picked up where she left off after a promising freshman campaign. Swadling, a member of the 2020 MPSF All-Newcomer Team who also garnered 2020 All-MPSF honorable mention, ranks second on the Bears in points (50), assists (23) and steals (15) while is also tied for second in goals (27). Included in Swadling's performance this season is a seven-point effort (2 goals, 5 assists) in a 17-7 win over then-No. 4 Arizona State during the Cross Conference Challenge on January 22.
IN WITH THE NEW (AND OLD)
Cal's coaching staff is a mix of veteran and new faces as four-time Olympian Heather Petri returns as a full-time assistant while Lance Morrison joins the Bears as well. Petri has spent time as both a full-time and volunteer assistant during head coach Coralie Simmons' six-year tenure at Cal, while Morrison comes to the Bears after a successful run as the head coach at prep powerhouse Miramonte High School. Petri was a two-time All-American as a student-athlete at Cal and went on to become the only four-time female Olympian in Cal history. She's also a four-time Olympic medalist, with a gold, two silvers and a bronze.
ABOUT NO. 2 STANFORD
• SR Makenzie Fischer leads the MPSF in goals per game (3.4)
• Fischer is Stanford's all-time leading scorer and ranks eighth all-time in the MPSF (266)
• Stanford's only two losses this season are to Cal and USC
• CAL ALL-TIME VS. STANFORD: 23-61