Friday, October 30
Santa Clara, CA
2:30 PM
Saint Mary's College of California
10
at
11
Santa Clara
10/30/2026 4:58:00 PM | Men's Water Polo
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The No. 20 Saint Mary's men's water polo team put up a fight against No. 18 Santa Clara on Friday afternoon, trading goals with the Broncos in a back-and-forth battle before narrowly falling 11-10. The matchup marked the Gaels' first road West Coast Conference contest in program history.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Santa Clara jumped out to an early 2-0 lead before Alessandro Fumo put the Gaels on the board off a catch-and-shoot opportunity set up by Domenico Barillà. Ethan Klerck followed with a goal of his own off an assist from Leo Hachem to cut the Broncos' lead to 3-2 heading into the second quarter. The Gaels continued to battle in the second quarter, outscoring the Broncos 3-2. Harry Irwin got things started with a powerplay goal off an assist from Hachem before Mason Black found the back of the net off of a pass from Klerck. Irwin added his second goal of the afternoon on a 5-meter penalty shot, sending the teams into the break tied at 5-5.Â
Both teams continued to trade goals coming out of halftime, each finding the back of the net twice in the third quarter. Hachem accounted for both Saint Mary's goals, converting on a pair of 5-meter penalty shots to keep things even at 7-7 heading into the final period. The back-and-forth action continued into the fourth quarter as Hamish Ellison opened the scoring for Saint Mary's off an assist from Irwin. Klerck followed with a goal of his own, also assisted by Irwin, before adding another later in the period. Despite the Gaels' efforts, Santa Clara managed to hold on for the narrow 11-10 victory.
GAME NOTESÂ
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LOOKING AHEAD
The Gaels will return to action on Sunday, November 1 as they head to Davis to take on the Aggies. The match is set for 1:00 p.m. and the game will be available to stream live on ESPN+. Additional game information can be found at smcgaels.com.Â
Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
#GaelsRise
HOW IT HAPPENED
Santa Clara jumped out to an early 2-0 lead before Alessandro Fumo put the Gaels on the board off a catch-and-shoot opportunity set up by Domenico Barillà. Ethan Klerck followed with a goal of his own off an assist from Leo Hachem to cut the Broncos' lead to 3-2 heading into the second quarter. The Gaels continued to battle in the second quarter, outscoring the Broncos 3-2. Harry Irwin got things started with a powerplay goal off an assist from Hachem before Mason Black found the back of the net off of a pass from Klerck. Irwin added his second goal of the afternoon on a 5-meter penalty shot, sending the teams into the break tied at 5-5.Â
Both teams continued to trade goals coming out of halftime, each finding the back of the net twice in the third quarter. Hachem accounted for both Saint Mary's goals, converting on a pair of 5-meter penalty shots to keep things even at 7-7 heading into the final period. The back-and-forth action continued into the fourth quarter as Hamish Ellison opened the scoring for Saint Mary's off an assist from Irwin. Klerck followed with a goal of his own, also assisted by Irwin, before adding another later in the period. Despite the Gaels' efforts, Santa Clara managed to hold on for the narrow 11-10 victory.
GAME NOTESÂ
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- Ethan Klerck led the Gaels offensively with a hat trick and an assist.Â
- Harry Irwin and Leo Hachem each recorded two goals and two assists in the match.Â
- Hachem extended his team-leading goal total to 48 on the season and remains tied for ninth in the WCC.Â
- Federico Castrucci tallied seven saves in the cage, including two stops on 5-meter penalty shots. He now has 101 on the season to rank him seventh in the West Coast Conference.Â
- Hamish Ellison won two sprints in the match, bringing his season total to 25 and tying him for second in the WCC.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Gaels will return to action on Sunday, November 1 as they head to Davis to take on the Aggies. The match is set for 1:00 p.m. and the game will be available to stream live on ESPN+. Additional game information can be found at smcgaels.com.Â
Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
#GaelsRise
Players Mentioned
UTL
/ Men's Water PoloGK
/ Men's Water PoloATT
/ Men's Water PoloATT
/ Men's Water PoloATT
/ Men's Water PoloATT
/ Men's Water PoloATT
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