The No. 8 Gauchos went 2-1 in three days over the weekend in the Western Women’s Lacrosse League Championship tournament, defeating No. 11 Cal Poly 15-11 to earn a third-place finish.

[media-credit name=”Miranda Chrislock” align=”alignleft” width=”166″][/media-credit]After taking a 9-5 lead into halftime, UCSB caught fire early in the second. Senior attack — and four-time WWLL first team member — Ashley Antoon-Algieri scored two of her team-high five goals in a 5-1 run that effectively ended the Mustangs’ chances. The team managed to play each of its bench players, using the lead to gain experience for some of its younger players.

“Our team is pretty versatile,” Head Coach Paul Ramsey told UCSB Club Sports. “The defense stepped up against a team that scored 12 against Santa Clara and 16 against UCLA this weekend.”

With their performance in the tournament, the Gauchos move into position for a possible at-large spot in the Women’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association Tournament, a 24-team event beginning May 4 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Three teams from UCSB’s conference could make the tournament, including WWLL No. 1 Santa Clara.