Sept. 18, 2010

BERKELEY - Led by four goals by junior standout Ivan Rackov and three goals from sophomore Marin Balarin, the No. 1-ranked California men's water polo team opened the 2010 NorCal Invitational with a 17-8 victory over Pomona-Pitzer Saturday at Spieker Aquatics Complex. The Golden Bears had nine different players score and utilized 27 different players and four different goalies to improve to 3-0 on the year.

Cal will now face Pepperdine in a second round match at 2:40 p.m. Saturday. The Waves had upended Loyola Marymount, 8-7, in sudden death overtime. LMU faces Pomona-Pitzer at 1:20 p.m.

Rackov helped set the pace of the match as he scored the contest's first three goals and later added another score as the Bears jumped out to an 8-2 lead after the first period. Junior Luka Saponjic notched two goals and true freshman Collin Smith and senior captain Brian Dudley also scored in the first quarter for Cal.

Senior Zach White and sophomore Mason Cox had two goals apiece for the Bears. Redshirt freshman goalie Michael Boggan had two saves in the fourth period.

2010 NORCAL INVITATIONAL
Game 1
Cal 17, Pomona-Pitzer 8
Pomona-Pitzer   2     3      1      2    -    8
Cal             8     5      2      2    -    17
Pomona-Pitzer Goals: Ben Hadley 2, Ryan Higgins 2, Mark Hudnall,
Jarrod Gaut, Tucker Carlson, Cody Moore
Cal Goals: Ivan Rackov 4, Marin Balarin 3, Luka Saponjic 2,
Zach White 2, Mason Cox 2, Collin Smith, Brian Dudley,
Hunter Gettelfinger, Cory Nasoff
Pomona-Pitzer Goalie Saves: Kyle Pokorny (first half) 4,
Tyler Hill (second half) 4
Cal Goalie Saves: Michael Boggan 2 (in fourth period)