Cal To Host MPSF Championship

Friday, November 22

Berkeley, CA

3:00 PM

California

Austin College

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11/19/2019 10:03 PM | Men's Water Polo

MPSF Championship Central FOSH Stats MPSF TV Tickets

Fourth-Seeded Bears Seek First Conference Tournament Title Since 2006

By: Cal Athletics

BERKELEY – California will host the 2019 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Men's Water Polo Championship on Nov. 22-24 at Spieker Aquatics Complex. The Bears (12-10) enter the tournament as the No. 4 seed and will face the winner of Penn State Behrend and Austin College in the quarterfinals at 3 p.m. (PT) on Friday, Nov. 22.

The three-day, six-team tournament will conclude with the championship match at 3 p.m. (PT) Sunday, Nov. 24. Three consecutive wins by the Bears would clinch their fifth NCAA Championship berth of the decade.

Both the championship match and the third-place match (3 p.m., Sunday), will be aired live on the Pac-12 Network. Live streaming will be available for all other games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday through MPSF TV and streaming partner, Sidearm Sports.

Further information regarding the MPSF Championship can be found at the tournament central webpage.

WEEKEND OUTLOOK
Championship Central: CalBears.com
Teams: USC (13-4), Stanford (17-2), UCLA (16-3), Cal (12-10), Austin College (3-17), Penn State Behrend (6-12)
Dates/Times: Friday, Nov. 22 – Sunday, Nov. 24
Location: Berkeley, Calif. | Spieker Aquatics Complex
TV: MPSF TV | Pac-12 Network
TV Talent: Greg Mescall (PxP) & Adam Krikorian (Analyst) – Pac-12 Network
Live Stats: FOSH
Notes: Cal | MPSF

CAL'S MPSF CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
The Bears have won five MPSF Tournament titles dating back to 1992 with the most recent in 2006. Cal's conference tournament titles came in 1992, 1993, 1995, 2002 and 2006. Cal's five MPSF Tournament titles are tied for the third most in league history (USC, 11; Stanford, 6; UCLA, 5).

LAST TIME AT MPSF CHAMPIONSHIP
A big third period by top-seede Stanford put the Cal in a position to chase the scoreboard entering the fourth, but the third-seeded Bears couldn't make up the difference as they dropped a 12-10 decision to the Cardinal in the championship match of the 2018 MPSF Tournament at USC's Uytengsu Aquatics Center on Nov. 18, 2018.

Cal fought through a back and forth first half to take a 6-5 lead by the midway mark. A lob shot by Safak Simsek provided the final goal of the half and gave the Bears the momentum heading into the second half. Stanford took the lead in the third period as, despite goals from Odysseas Masmanidis, Jordan Hoover and Jack Deely, the Cardinal outscored the Bears 5-3 to take a 10-9 lead to the fourth.

A Stanford goal with 5:48 left in regulation put Cal down by two but a penalty shot conversion by Hooper brought the Bears within one at the 4:23 mark. Stanford was awarded a penalty shot of its own with 3:59 remaining and the Cardinal converted to provide the game's final margin.

WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE
Every match this fall has been a battle for Cal, with eight of its 10 losses coming by three goals or less, including four one-goal defeats. An extra six minutes of action have also been a constant for the Bears, as they've gone to overtime six times. Cal is 3-3 in such contests with wins coming against San Jose State (twice) and Long Beach State.

EARNING THEIR STRIPES
With a young roster at his disposal, Cal head coach Kirk Everist has asked multiple freshmen to step up with big minutes and production. The most impressive of those newcomers are center Nikolaos Papanikolaou and goalkeeper Adrian Weinberg. The two have been named MPSF Newcomer of the Week three total times (Papanikolaou, twice).

Weinberg ranks second in the MPSF with 185 saves and owns a .497 save percentage, having started 19 matches. Papanikolaou ranks fourth in goals (43) and seventh in steals (18) among MPSF players. Other freshmen with key reps include Garrett Dunn (11 goals, 11 steals, 11 assists), Warren Loth (14 goals, 11 field blocks) and Sam Untrecht (12 goals, 16 steals).

LUCKY LEFTY
Senior attacker Safak Simsek is on pace to finish his collegiate career as one of Cal's most successful goal scorers and is the team's active leader with 154. Simsek has excelled as the focal point of the Bears' offense this fall, as he is fourth in points (64) and third in goals (46) among MPSF players. The left-hander scored multiple goals in 15 of 22 matches and has netted at least one in 20 of 22.

CAPTAIN HOOVER
Jordan Hoover is making the most of his fifth and final year as a Bear. The team captain ranks third on the team with a career-best 40 goals. His game-winner at Long Beach State on Nov. 3 was the 100th of his career. With 49 ejections earned, 15 steals and four field blocks to his name as well, Hoover is proving to be one of Cal's most reliable pieces.

GLUE GUY
Sophomore Jack Deely's seven-point effort (four goals, three assists) in Cal's 10-7 win vs. UC Irvine on Nov. 10 was a standout example of his well-rounded season. The utility man ranks fifth on the team with 39 points (27 goals, 12 assists) and has 10 drawn ejections and eight steals. Deely has also been held scoreless in just five matches.

STAY POSTED
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