On Saturday and Sunday, the #11 Santa Barbara women’s water polo team will play the #1 and #2 teams in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.

The women will travel to Los Angeles to play the #1 USC Trojans on Saturday. The Trojans have an overall record of 9-0 so far this season and will prove to be very difficult competition.

On Sunday at Campus Pool at noon, Santa Barbara will host #2 UCLA. The Bruins have an overall season record of 6-1, while the Gauchos have a season total of 6-2. Last season, the Bruins pummeled the Gauchos 12-0 in Los Angeles to end the regular season. Eight Bruins scored goals in the game as the Gauchos had no answer for the UCLA attack. The Bruins were ranked #1 at the time.

“This season the girls have been practicing hard,” UCSB Head Coach Danielle Altman said. “The girls have the capability to dominate this game.”

Santa Barbara is coming off an 8-7 win over Cal Baptist last Saturday at Campus Pool. Freshman utility ZiZi Clark scored the game-winning goal in sudden death overtime to give the Gauchos their sixth win of the year. Clark and junior utility Katy Kunkel led Santa Barbara with two goals apiece as six Gauchos scored goals in the contest. UCSB has won two of its last three contests and is 3-2 in the month of February.

Jennifer D’Anna leads Santa Barbara with 10 goals this season and has scored a goal in every game so far. Kunkel is second on the team with seven goals.

Sunday’s match against UCLA starts a string of seven straight home games for UCSB.