Cardinal can’t tread previous Bears in Large Splash

3 weeks ago 2 min read

No. 4 Stanford males’s water polo (14-7, 2-4 MPSF) floundered throughout their third battle towards No. 2 California (19-4, 3-3 MPSF) Saturday at Spieker Aquatics Middle in Berkeley, California.

The Large Splash, a contest between the Bears and the Cardinal, was held on Nov. 11 following two different season matchups earlier this fall. The Cardinal beforehand fell in double extra time 17-18 to the Bears on Sept. 23, however received again on their toes on Oct. 14 with a decisive common time 9-8 win.

Their third assembly with Cal led to a fast defeat. The Bears scored twice within the first two minutes of the sport; redshirt sophomore Grant Watson answered along with his first of the sport to convey the rating to an in depth 1-2. The Bears continued pushing all through the primary quarter, ending with 4 targets to the Cardinal’s two.

Senior Riley Pittman led the Cardinal within the first with a objective and adopted with two extra all through the match, incomes a hat trick — his sixteenth sport this season scoring quite a few targets. Pittman has led the workforce in targets this season, nevertheless it was not sufficient towards the Berkeley offense.

Starting the second quarter, senior Ethan Parrish took off on his run for a hat trick, scoring twice to offer the Cardinal its solely targets within the second interval of play.

Junior goalkeeper Liam Harrison held his personal within the internet all through the match, incomes his first look and begin since 2021, and saving a decisive 12 blocks for the Cardinal protection. Harrison ended the primary half making three back-to-back blocks and a crucial steal within the final 13 seconds.

At halftime, the Cardinal have been down 4-6, and the Bears stored their momentum all through the second half. Within the third, the Bears scored 3 and Stanford’s latest junior switch Tanner Pulice was solely in a position to put one at the back of the web.

Pittman and Parrish accomplished their hat methods within the fourth, nevertheless it was not sufficient as Cal prolonged their result in 4, ending the match with a victory (8-12).

The Large Splash concluded the Cardinal’s common season as they stay up for the MPSF event beginning on Friday, Nov. 17. Because of a USC loss on Saturday, Stanford will enter the event taking the fifth seed, hoping to safe the convention title and a ticket to the NCAAs.