Video Highlights

LA JOLLA, Calif. -- Laura Kunz and Caitlin Risden combined to score four of Sonoma State's five goals in the first half of play, helping the Seawolves sprint out to a 5-1 lead at halftime over Santa Clara in the seventh place game of the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Women's Championship Tournament on Sunday in La Jolla.  However, the Broncos rebounded to outscore SSU 5-1 in the second half to force overtime.  With both teams coming up big on defense in the first two extra periods, the match would become a sudden victory situation in the third overtime.  It took just 27 seconds to decide a winner, but Sonoma State would fall on the losing end of the 7-6 score, as the Broncos' Claire Eadington fired a shot into the right corner of the net to end the match.

The Seawolves (10-23) see their season come to an end, placing eighth in the 2012 WWPA tournament, the lowest finish by SSU in the conference tournament since 2007.  The Broncos end their season with a 9-27 overall mark.

Kunz, Risden and Adrienne Bisharat netted the five goals for Sonoma State in the opening 16 minutes, while the defense came up huge, allowing just one goal, which game with just 1:54 left in the first half.  The tables would turn in the second half, as Santa Clara overpowered the Seawolves on both sides of the ball to pull into a tie by the end of regulation.  In fact, the Broncos scored their final two goals in the last 1:27 of regulation, including the equalizer with 24 seconds left.

Neither team could find the net in the first two overtime periods, despite the fact that Sonoma State played two possessions with a six-on-five advantage in the second OT.  Then, with sudden victory going into effect, Santa Clara's Marina Allen won the sprint and it would be on its first possession that Eadington ended the game for the Broncos.

Kunz scored the lone goal for Sonoma State in the second half, but SSU would be held scoreless in the final 19:33.  Kunz led the way with three goals, followed by two from Risden and one from Bisharat.  Ariel Lockshaw made 13 saves in the cage for the Seawolves.

For Kunz's efforts this weekend, she was named to the 2012 WWPA All-Tournament Second Team; it was announced by the conference at the conclusion of the tournament.

All four matches on Sunday were decided by identical scores of 7-6, two of which were decided in sudden victory.  Top-seeded Loyola Marymount upended host and No. 2 seed UC San Diego in the championship match on Sunday, 7-6.  With the victory, the Lions earn the WWPA automatic bid into the 2012 National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championship, hosted by San Diego State on May 11-13.  Cal State East Bay held off Cal State Monterey Bay for third place and CSU Bakersfield defeated Colorado State in sudden victory for fifth place.

WWPA Women's Championship Tournament
Canyonview Aquatic Center -- La Jolla, Calif.

Seventh Place Match
No. 5 Santa Clara 7, No. 7 Sonoma State 6 (SV)

Sonoma State (10-23)  --  2-3-0-1-0-0-0 -- 6
Santa Clara (9-27)  --  0-1-3-2-0-0-1 -- 7

SSU goals:  Kunz 3, Risden 2, Bisharat 1.
SSU saves:  Lockshaw 13.