Nov. 16, 2002

Berkeley, Calif. - In what was the final MPSF matchup of the year for both squads, the Cal men's water polo team (16-5, 5-3) defeated UC Irvine (14-8, 4-4), 11-7, today at Spieker Aquatics Complex in Berkeley. The win clinches a No. 3 seed for the Bears heading into the MPSF tournament (Nov. 28-30), while the Anteaters claim the fourth spot.

Cal took an early 1-0 lead just 43 seconds into the match on freshman Vince Bevins' 14th goal of the year. UC Irvine's Ben Carlson answered right back for the Anteaters at the 4:11 mark to tie the game at 1-1. But the Bears went on to score three unanswered goals to end the first period of action with a commanding 4-1 lead.

More of the same in the second stanza with each team trading scores. Jeff Powers notched his first of three goals for the Anteaters at the 5:39 mark to cut the Cal lead in half, 4-2. Will Quist and Todd Hylton then scored back-to-back goals to give the Bears' a four goal lead, 6-2. The Anteaters cut the Cal lead in half once again with 1:11 to go before the break on a four-meter penalty score by Dreason Barry. But Cal's Andrew Stoddard found himself in a one-on-one opportunity with UC Irvine keeper Doug Finfrock with 11 seconds remaining, netting the goal to give the Bears a 7-3 lead going into the half.

The Bears outscored the Anteaters 4-2 in the third period. Greg Panawek stole an Anteater pass at midpool and sprinted uncontested the rest of the way, skating one past Finfrock for the 8-3 lead. Stoddard found himself with another one-on-one face-off with Finfrock at the 1:46 mark, as he tallied his third goal of the day to give Cal the 9-4 advantage. A score by the Anteaters' Phil Garcia and two more Bears' goals from Attila Banhidy and Hylton gave Cal a commanding 11-5 lead at the end of three periods of action.

UC Irvine keeper Finfrock kept the Anteaters in the game in the fourth, recording four of his eight saves while leading a defensive charge that kept the Bears off the scoreboard in the period. Powers and Barry each notched a goal for UC Irvine, but it was too little too late as Cal went on to win the match 11-7.

Cal returns to action Saturday, Nov. 23 at 10:30 a.m., as the Bears host the Stanford Cardinal in the annual Big Splash at Spieker Aquatics Complex in Berkeley.

GAME SUMMARY:

GOALS:
UC IRVINE - Jeff Powers 3, Dreason Barry 2, Phil Garcia 1, Ben Carlson 1
CAL - Andrew Stoddard 3, Attila Banhidy 2, Will Quist 2, Todd Hylton 2, Vince Bevins 1, Greg Panawek 1

SAVES:
UC IRVINE - Doug Finfrock 8
CAL - Russell Bernstein 8


BOX SCORE:

	1	2	3	4	TOTAL
UCI	1	2	2	2	7
CAL	4	3	4	0	11