Bears Finish Home Slate With Win

Bears Finish Home Slate With Win

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BERKELEY - Goals came fast and furious for the No. 2-ranked Cal men's water polo team and the Bears turned in a strong performance from start to finish as they defeated a shorthanded Pepperdine squad 26-3 to wrap up the 2015 home schedule at Spieker Aquatics Complex.

Odysseas Masmanidis, Timothy Simenc and Andrew Schnugg scored three goals apiece to lead Cal, which improves to 20-5 overall and 6-2 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation with the win. 15 different Bears scored in the victory.

Looking to shake off a tough loss to Pacific one day earlier, Cal came out focused and ready to find the net on Sunday. Colin Mulcahy opened the Bears' account off an assist from Luca Cupido, and Stellet followed with his own goal off an assist from Cupido. A goal by Thomas Carroll wrapped up the first period scoring and Cal led 7-1 after eight minutes.

The lead expanded to 14-1 by halftime courtesy of a second period in which six different Bears found the net. By the end of the third period the scoreline read 21-2 and Cal added five more in the fourth to finish the scoring. Mulcahy and Thomas Agramonte each scored two goals in the final home game of their standout Cal careers while Schnugg and goalkeeper Peter O'Laughlin also played their final game in home waters. Lazar Andric made 12 saves in the victory for the Bears.

The win restored a bit of equilibrium for a Cal squad that led No. 2 Pacific by three goals after three periods on Saturday. The Tigers rallied for six goals in the final period and pulled out an 11-10 win. The two squads could meet again in a few weeks at the MPSF Tournament in Los Angeles.

"We were pretty mad at how we ended (Saturday's) game. We can not allow six goals to be scored in the last quarter," Cupido said. "We have to learn from yesterday that we have to lock in defense first, then offense. (Today) was a game to get our mindset going, re-focus and try to redeem ourselves for yesterday."

The Bears will head to the South Bay next weekend for their final regular season game as Cal takes on Stanford next Sunday at 1 p.m. at Avery Aquatic Center. That game will be televised live on Pac-12 Bay Area. From there, the Bears turn their attention to the postseason and the MPSF Tournament that begins on Nov. 20 at USC.

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