PALO ALTO, CA., Dec. 2 — ON a day so cold and rainy –more fit for the Apocalypse than water polo — Stanford won one for the Gipper here this afternon and his name was Dante, as in Dettamanti.<\/p>\n
The top-ranked and No. 1-seeded Stanford Cardinal (22-1), playing before a racous home crowd of 2,226 fans at their new Avery Aquatic Center (a record turnout for collegiate water polo), jumped to a 3-zip first-quarter lead and were never headed as they breezed to an 8-5 victory over UCLA (16-5), in the finals of the 33rd Men's NCAA Championships.<\/p>\n
Third-place went to Loyola-Marymount, host for next year's championships, as it defeated the University of Massachuestts Mintemen, 14-6. Loyola finishes at 15-14; UMass with a 28-7 record.<\/p>\n
For retiring Stanford coach Dettamanti (666-208-6), it was a fitting ending to his 25-year-career at The Farm, which included a record-tying eight NCAA titles during that span. Retired Cal coach Pete Cutino also has eight championship rings.<\/p>\n
Stanford now has nine NCAA polo titles, two behind Cal's record 11. UCLA, double-defending NCAA champ, has seven.<\/p>\n
Ironically, Dettamanti was a UCLA graduate assistant to Bob Horn at the first NCAA polo championships, which went to the Bruins back in 1969. So he begins his coaching career with a title and ends it similarly.<\/p>\n
The last time these two teams met with the NCAA title on the line was two years ago with UCLA winning, 6-5. Stanford defeated the Bruins for the crown back in '78, 13-12, in the only other championship match between the two. Stanford also had a two-match finals' losing streak prior to today, having lost in '99 to UCLA and to USC the year before. They didn't make it into last year's title-decider, however, as UCSD lost to the Bruins, 11-2.<\/p>\n
Stanford also made it a clean sweep of the Bruins for the season, having beaten their Southern California rival thrice before today's championship match — once in Westwood in September, once in Stockton, CA. in the finals of the NorCal Tournament a month later and then in early November at Avery.<\/p>\n
"I couldn't be more pleased and delighted to go out this way," Dettamanti said. "It's really a thrill to win your last game. I'm very satisfied indeed."<\/p>\n
Stanford red-shirt freshman Tony Azevedo, the nation's leading scorer and a Sydney Olympian for the United States, was named tournament MVP. He scored a pair of goals today to go with his two against UMass in the
\nsemis, which Stanford won, 8-4. UCLA defeated LMU, 7-5, in the other semi-final.<\/p>\n
Another streak that was preserved today by the Cardinal-Bruin finale was that no eastern university has ever made it into the championship match in the history of the tournament.<\/p>\n
* * * * *<\/p>\n
Azevedo got the scoring going with a penalty goal 5:33 into the first period. A mere 18 seconds later Cardinal Jeff Nesmeth broke free from a defender and rifled a shot home past Bruin All-America goalie Brandon Brooks. <\/p>\n
Then Peter Hudnut scored on a 6-on-5 advantage and it was 3-0 Stanford before the first period had ended.<\/p>\n
The Cardinal then scored a pair of goals in the second quarter to make it 5-2 at halftime. To open the third period, Card Brian Darrow scored his second goal of the match to give Stanford an insurmountable 6-2 advantage.<\/p>\n
However, UCLA didn't fold. Goals by Matt Flesher with 2:45 remaining in the quarter and freshman Brett Ormsby's score over the outstretched arms of goalie Nick Ellis cut the deficit to 6-4, and the momentum began to swing in UCLA's favor.<\/p>\n
In the final period Stanford's Australian import, Onno Koelman, took a lob pass from Azevedo at 4:34, broke free from his defender and put the ball in the cage for a 7-4 advantage.<\/p>\n
The Bruins cut it to 7-5 with 2:02 left, but Darrow iced the outcome when he blasted a shot home from point-blank range in front of the UCLA net. His
\narm was hit while shooting, but the ball dribbled past Brooks and that was that.<\/p>\n
With "all-world" Azevedo back for another three years, any chance the Card coach might reconsider his retirement decision?<\/p>\n
"No. way. I'm otta here," Dettamanti laughed.<\/p>\n
Corona del Mar High coach John Vargas, whose Sea Kings won their second-consecutive CIF Championship a couple of weeks ago and who won an NCAA title while at U Cal Irvine in the early '80s, will succeed Dettamanti as Stanford coach Jan. 1.<\/p>\n
Avery also served as host facility for last spring's inaugural NCAA women's polo championships, won by UCLA over Stanford.<\/p>\n
USC's McDonald's Olympic Pool will be the site of next May's second NCAA women's tourney.<\/p>\n
— Bill Bell<\/p>\n
Box Score<\/p>\n
Score by Quarters – Final<\/p>\n
1 2 3 4<\/p>\n
Stanford 3 2 1 2 8
\nUCLA 1 1 2 1 5<\/p>\n
Goals<\/p>\n
Stanford: Azevedo, 2; Darrow, 2; Koelman, 2; Nesmeth, 1;
\n Hudnut, 1.<\/p>\n
UCLA Tucay, 2; Ormsby, 2; Flesher, 1.<\/p>\n
Saves:<\/p>\n
Stanford Nick Ellis, 8.
\nUCLA Brandon Brooks, 7.<\/p>\n
NCAA ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM<\/p>\n
MVP – Tony Azevedo, Stanford<\/p>\n
First Team<\/p>\n
Tony Azevedo, Stanford
\nNick Ellis, Stanford
\nPeter Hudnut, Stanford
\nJeff Nesmeth, Stanford
\nMatt Flesher, UCLA
\nBrett Ormsby, UCLA
\nKevin Witt, Loyola Marymount<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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