HAYWARD, Calif. -- Although the biggest games of 2017 are still remaining on the schedule in the final days of April, this Saturday marks a tremendous milestone for nine members of the Cal State East Bay water polo team. 

The Pioneers (10-12) will host Cal State Monterey Bay (6-9) at 1 p.m. in the final home game of the season. The contest will be preceded by the annual "Senior Day" ceremony to honor the nine student-athletes who will compete in Pioneer Pool for the final time. 

The 2017 class consists of five junior college transfers and four athletes who have spent their whole college careers at East Bay. Brandi Carroll, Rocio Fesembeck, Nicole Williams, and Nikki Vaughan were instrumental in helping the Pioneers reach last year's WWPA Championship game in their first season with the team. Katelyn Clark has been with the Pioneers three years after playing one season at Ohlone College and will make her second trip to Geneva, Ohio at the end of the month for conference championships. The quartet of Amy Chinn, Miranda Diehm, Shelbie Higginson, and Olivia Mackell have gone to the WWPA title game every year they've been with the program and will look to make it four straight for the first time in school history.

This weekend, CSUEB will attempt to earn its fifth straight win over Cal State Monterey Bay, dating back to 2015. Nearly all the contests between the Pioneers and Otters during that time have been tight, and the first meeting this year was no exception. Two weeks ago in Seaside, East Bay pulled off a late comeback to erase a three-goal deficit and win 11-10 in the designated WWPA game between the two squads. 

Although Saturday's game will honor the Pioneer seniors, this season the team has also gotten outstanding contributions from its newcomers. Freshman Auriel Bill leads the squad and ranks among the top players in the conference in goals (39), assists (23), and steals (35). Junior transfer Leilani Vazquez is also among the top ten scorers in the WWPA this season with 29 goals. 

Bill scored four goals against the Otters when the teams last met, including the game winner. Fesembeck, who's fourth on the Pioneers with 20 goals, had three in that game. Alicia Tully, Vazquez's former teammate at Fullerton College, scored twice against CSUMB. Tully is CSUEB's third-leading goal scorer with 24 for the season. She has been especially hot lately, with nine goals in her last four games, including four against No. 19 UC San Diego. 

The Otters' Tatiana Veloso leads the team in goals and assists, but the Pioneers held her off the scoreboard in the last meeting. 

Saturday should be another strong battle of goalkeepers, as Vaughan and Monterey Bay's Morgan Fain are the top two goalies in the WWPA in terms of saves per games. They're also both in the top three in the conference in goals against average.