STANFORD. Calif., Nov. 17. TOP-ranked and defending NCAA Division 1 champ Stanford (20-3) closed its home season this afternoon with a hard-fought 10-9 victory over sixth-ranked UC Irvine at the Cardinal's Avery Aquatic Center. <\/p>\n
The game marked the last home match for the seniors who combined for four goals on offense and posted six saves in the net. <\/p>\n
UCI's Anteaters challenged the Cardinal throughout the day, keeping the score tied at the end of every period. Stanford took an early 2-0 lead, but Irvine rallied back for the tie at 3-3 before taking its first lead in the second quarter. Stanford closed out the first half at 5-5. <\/p>\n
Both teams scored once during the third period to keep it even at 6-6 with seven minutes remaining and Cardinal fans were beginning to wonder if the home team would incur its initial loss at Avery this season. <\/p>\n
However, it was not to be, as in the final period, Stanford junior Mike Derse scored first with a goal at 5:25. The goal put the Cardinal up 7-6, but UC Irvine All-America Jeff Powers came back with a goal just 19 seconds later for the fifth tie of the day. <\/p>\n
(Hey, didn't anybody tell Anteater coach Ted Newland this isn't the way the script's supposed to read?) <\/p>\n
Stanford took the lead again on a man-up goal by senior Peter Hudnut, but UC Irvine was not to be deterred. Powers scored his fifth goal of the afternoon to bring the Anteaters back to an 8-8 tie. <\/p>\n
With 2:44 remaining, Card senior Jeff Nesmith fired a shot past the UCI goalie for his second score of the match and Stanford was on top again, 9-8. <\/p>\n
Then with two minutes remaining, sophomore Tony Azevedo — Stanford's Player of the Year last season and a Sydney Olympian — intercepted a pass from Rick Merlo to set up a score by Derse, which give Stanford a two-point cushion with 1:46 left on the clock. <\/p>\n
With only 52 seconds left in the game, the Anteaters managed one more goal on a 6-on-5, but the Cardinal controlled the ball on offense and then earned an ejection with 22 seconds to secure the 10-9 victory. <\/p>\n
Stanford seniors Nick Ellis and Jeff Guyman turned in top-notch efforts in their final match at Avery, with Ellis saving six potential goals and Ellis scoring one goal. <\/p>\n
The Stanford senior class was honored before the game and will be remembered as one of the most successful classes in school history with three 20-plus win seasons in their four years on The Farm, not to mention one and perhaps two NCAA Championships. <\/p>\n
The Cardinal will close out its regular season on Saturday, Nov. 23rd in Berkeley at 10:30 AM with the Big Splash against California. Later that afternoon the Golden Bears and Cardinal will renew acquaintances on the gridiron for the 105th time — although we doubt the polo series has lasted quite that long.<\/p>\n
Stanford has secured the second-seed for the MPSF Championship Tournament, which will be held at Los Alamitos, CA. on Nov. 29th-Dec. 1st. Pepperdine, by virtue of its MPSF regular-season title, is the top seed.<\/p>\n
— Bill Bell <\/p>\n
Game Summary<\/p>\n
Team 1 2 3 4 Total
\nStanford 3 2 1 4 10
\nUC Irvine 3 2 1 3 9<\/p>\n
Stanford Scoring:
\nTony Azevedo 3, Mike Derse 3, Jeff Nesmith 2, Jeff Guyman 1, Peter Hudnut 1.<\/p>\n
UC Irvine Scoring:
\nJeff Powers 5, Dreason Barry 2, Garrett Gentry 1, Rick Merlo 1<\/p>\n
Goalie Saves:
\nNick Ellis (Stan) 6
\nDoug Finrock (UCI) 8<\/p>\n
6-on-5:
\nStanford 4-5
\nUC Irvine 4-5<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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