The Santa Cruz varsity water polo team will face Harker (San Jose) in a neutral playoff game today at 5:30 p.m. in the CCS Division II Semifinal at Gunn High School.

Harker vs Santa Cruz Water Polo Game Info:

What: California High School Girls Water Polo
Who: Harker vs Santa Cruz
When: Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Time: 5:30 p.m.
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Game preview: Harker vs Santa Cruz

In this competitive water polo season, the Harker (San Jose, CA) and Santa Cruz (CA) varsity water polo teams have showcased impressive skills, resulting in strong records and exciting matchups. With the teams set to face each other in a neutral playoff game, let’s dive into their season performances, key stats, and head-to-head analysis to see how they match up.

Team Rankings & Records

Harker (San Jose, CA)

• National Rank: 41
• State Rank (CA): 28
• Section Rank: 5
• Overall Record: 20-8
• League Record: 11-3
• Home Record: 10-1
• Away Record: 5-5
• Neutral Record: 5-2
• Win Percentage: 71.4%
• League Win Percentage: 78.6%
• Goals For (GF): 304
• Goals Against (GA): 221

Harker has demonstrated a consistent ability to win games, particularly at home with a stellar 10-1 record. Their strong offensive play has yielded 304 goals across the season, balancing against 221 goals conceded, giving them a solid edge on both ends of the pool.

Santa Cruz (CA)

• National Rank: 45
• State Rank (CA): 31
• Section Rank: 8
• Overall Record: 13-8
• League Record: 5-3
• Home Record: 6-1
• Away Record: 2-2
• Neutral Record: 5-5
• Win Percentage: 61.9%
• League Win Percentage: 62.5%
• Goals For (GF): 211
• Goals Against (GA): 156

Santa Cruz has also been strong, boasting a 6-1 home record and an impressive defensive game, allowing only 156 goals throughout the season. While they’ve played fewer games than Harker, their record reflects consistency, particularly when playing common opponents.

Team Scoring Averages

When analyzing scoring patterns, Harker edges out Santa Cruz in terms of final scores:

• Harker: 10.9 points per game
• Santa Cruz: 10.0 points per game

Quarterly Breakdown:

• Harker typically peaks in the second quarter, averaging 2.9 points.
• Santa Cruz performs strongest in the first quarter, averaging 2.8 points.

This scoring data suggests that Harker may attempt to dominate early, while Santa Cruz could rely on their defensive strength to limit Harker’s scoring opportunities.

Key Players and Stats

Harker

• Goals Leader: #3 Violet Rubin – 75 goals
• Assists Leader: #4 Kat Fanni – 30 assists
• Steals Leader: #3 Violet Rubin – 53 steals
• Goalie: #1 Sage Steller-Croll – Goals Against Average (GAA) of 7.3

Santa Cruz

• Goals Leader: 17 goals
• Assists Leader: 11 assists
• Steals Leader: 16 steals
• Goalie: Goals Against Average of 10.7

With standout players like Violet Rubin leading both scoring and steals, Harker’s offense appears powerful and well-rounded. Goalkeeper Sage Steller-Croll’s GAA of 7.3 indicates their solid defense, compared to Santa Cruz’s GAA of 10.7.

Head-to-Head and Common Opponents

• Previous Matchup (9/21/2024): Harker defeated Santa Cruz 7-4 in a neutral tournament game.

Common Opponents:

• Harker Record: 4-5
• Santa Cruz Record: 5-1

Santa Cruz has shown better results against shared opponents, such as their significant win over Castilleja (16-7) compared to Harker’s tighter win (11-8) against the same team. This could hint at Santa Cruz’s adaptability and strong defensive strategies, which will be essential as they enter this playoff game.

Record Breakdown

Harker has a slight advantage with a 2-0 playoff record, compared to Santa Cruz’s 1-0. Both teams are well-versed in neutral games, where Harker has shown a slight edge in wins (5-2 vs. Santa Cruz’s 5-5).

Upcoming Game Preview

As they head into the playoff, each team has a unique advantage—Harker with a higher-scoring offense and Santa Cruz with a more robust defense. The game promises to be a close contest, with Santa Cruz aiming to contain Harker’s offensive leaders while Harker will rely on their past head-to-head success and a balanced attack.

Whether it’s Harker’s offensive prowess or Santa Cruz’s resilient defense that prevails, this game will be a showcase of talent, strategy, and high stakes for both teams in their playoff journey.