Air Force Academy

Oct. 26, 2006

The 17th-ranked Air Force water polo team is back in action this weekend, Oct. 28-29, at the Aggie Shootout, hosted by 13th-ranked UC Davis. The Falcons will take on No. 5 UC San Diego in the first match of the weekend, followed by a contest with the host Aggies. On Sunday, Air Force opens up against 16th-ranked Santa Clara and wraps up the weekend with a game versus No. 14 Long Beach State.

Scouting the Falcons...
Air Force, currently ranked 17th in the nation, returns to action after a weekend off. The Falcons dropped four games at the SoCal Tournament in their last outing, falling to UC San Diego, Pacific, UC Santa Barbara and Long Beach State.

Leading the Falcons on the weekend were senior Danny Kimmich and junior Clark Condict, who notched five goals each. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Denver Saunders tallied 51 saves, including 16 in the team's narrow 8-7 loss to Long Beach State.

Scouting the Tritons...
The UC San Diego Tritons, currently ranked fifth in the nation, enter this weekend with a 19-4 overall record and 10-0 conference mark, after defeating WWPA foes Loyola Marymount and Pomona-Pitzer last weekend.

UC San Diego is coached by Denny Harper, in his 27th season at the helm of the program. The Tritons' leading scorer is junior Ty Lackey with 57 goals, while Jesse Casselini has recorded 46 goals on the season. Both Lackey and Casselini have earned WWPA Player of the Week honors this season, along with goalkeeper Jeremy Randall and driver Adnan Jerkovic.

Scouting the Aggies...
The 13th-ranked UC Davis Aggies are now 10-10 overall and 5-3 in the WWPA after splitting a pair of conference games last weekend. The Aggies defeated UC Santa Cruz, 12-5, before falling to Loyola Marymount, 6-5.

The Aggies are coached by Steve Doten, in his sixth season at the head of the program. Junior Nick Arrigo leads a balanced offense with 29 goals on the year, while Kevin Bacharach has added 27 scores.

Scouting the Broncos...
The 16th-ranked Santa Clara Broncos improved to 11-9 overall and 9-1 in the WWPA with a 9-6 upset victory over conference foe Loyola Marymount on Saturday.

The Broncos are coached by Keith Wilbur, in his sixth season at the head of the program. Leading the Broncos is sophomore Jack Wall, who has notched 54 goals on the season, while freshman Liam Farrell has added 38 goals.

Scouting the 49ers...
The 14th-ranked Long Beach State 49ers fell to 5-11 on the season with a pair of losses last weekend. The 49ers fell to Pacific, 11-5, before dropping to second-ranked Cal, 14-5.

The 49ers are coached by Gavin Arroyo, in his first year at the head of the program. Jay Gerardi leads the team in goals scored with 30, while Jeff Greenwood has added 27 goals on the season.

Series Records...
This weekend, Air Force and UC San Diego will meet for the 61st time, with the Tritons leading the all-time series 48-12. The two teams last met at the SoCal Tournament, with UC San Diego taking the 10-7 win.

Air Force and UC Davis will meet for the 53rd time in the series, with the Falcons holding a 33-19 advantage. The Aggies won the last meeting between the two teams, a 7-5 victory at the Academy.

This weekend marks the 36th meeting between Air Force and Santa Clara, with the Falcons holding a 31-4 advantage in the series. The two teams met three times last season, with Air Force's lone loss an 8-6 overtime defeat.

Meanwhile, Air Force and Long Beach State will meet for the 29th time in the series, with the 49ers holding a 20-8 advantage. The two teams last met at the SoCal Tournament, with Long Beach State escaping with an 8-7 win.

Up Next...
The Falcons wrap up the regular season next weekend, Nov. 4-5, with four conference games, taking on Loyola Marymount, Redlands, Chapman and Claremont.

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