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California Golden Bears Athletics
MPSF Newcomer of the Year Roberto Valera had three goals and three steals on Saturday.
Photo by: Catharyn Hayne/klcfotos
No. 1 Bears Fall In Overtime At MPSF Championships
11/20/2021 11:49 AM | Men's Water Polo
Cal To Play USC In Sunday's Third Place Game
STANFORD – Freshmen Roberto Valera and Max Casabella each scored three goals but the No. 1 Cal men's water polo team fell 12-11 to No. 4 Stanford on Saturday in the semifinals of the MPSF Championships at Avery Aquatic Center.
Casabella added three assists for the Bears (20-3) while Valera, the 2021 MPSF Newcomer of the Year, contributed three steals.
Cal will face USC in the Third Place Game on Sunday.
The Cardinal got off to a hot start with goals on each of its first two possessions but the Bears came back to tie it at 4-4 at halftime. Consecutive goals by Valera and MPSF Player of the Year Nikolaos Papanikolaou pushed Cal's lead to 7-5 with 2:20 remaining in the third quarter, but Stanford answered immediately with back-to-back goals of it s own. The Bears led 10-9 before the Cardinal tied it up again with 53 seconds left in regulation.
Each team scored a goal in the first overtime, with Casabella tying it up with 22 seconds left. But Stanford got the only goal of the second extra session to pull out the victory.
Papanikolaou finished with two goals while senior Jack Deely had four assists.
Casabella added three assists for the Bears (20-3) while Valera, the 2021 MPSF Newcomer of the Year, contributed three steals.
Cal will face USC in the Third Place Game on Sunday.
The Cardinal got off to a hot start with goals on each of its first two possessions but the Bears came back to tie it at 4-4 at halftime. Consecutive goals by Valera and MPSF Player of the Year Nikolaos Papanikolaou pushed Cal's lead to 7-5 with 2:20 remaining in the third quarter, but Stanford answered immediately with back-to-back goals of it s own. The Bears led 10-9 before the Cardinal tied it up again with 53 seconds left in regulation.
Each team scored a goal in the first overtime, with Casabella tying it up with 22 seconds left. But Stanford got the only goal of the second extra session to pull out the victory.
Papanikolaou finished with two goals while senior Jack Deely had four assists.
Players Mentioned
ATT
/ Men's Water Polo
UTIL
/ Men's Water Polo
C
/ Men's Water Polo
ATT
/ Men's Water PoloThursday, October 05
Thursday, October 20
Thursday, June 23
